Go Away
by Nautical Paramour
Summary: Hermione knows that Lucius Malfoy can't love her, but she is still caught up in an affair with him. She examines their year long relationship, wondering how she found herself in this predicament, after trying to break it off once and for all. A story of how they came together, and what happens when they part. Post-war. EWE. Lucius/Hermione. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Well, here is the first chapter of my Lumione. I hope that you will enjoy it! This first chapter will be present day and then the subsequent chapters will cover the year prior to see how we got to this point. And then the last few chapters will be where they go after this point. Please let me know if you have any questions, I hope that this will be enough to pique your interest! Inspiration for this story is the song Go Away by Katy B.

I didn't get as far as I wanted last week in this, so I can't promise that updates will be as regular as with Sleeper, but I am gonna try really hard! I would love to know what you thought of chapter one, and be on the lookout for chapter two soon!

* * *

 **June, 2000**

The sunlight from her window was what sent Hermione's eyelids fluttering open. She stretched languidly, feeling the pleasant soreness of the previous night working its way out of her muscles. With the feeling of each stretched muscle a memory returned.

Rolling to her side, Hermione opened her brown eyes fully, blinking back the harshness of the light before her eyes focused on her bed companion. Tousled white blond hair framed striking cheekbones, jaw and greek nose, perfectly straight. His face looked completely relaxed in sleep and held none of its usual stoic hardness.

She let her eyes trailed down his bare chest, sparse golden blond hair decorating his pecs. He had shockingly defined abdominals for a man his age, but no six pack that some girls might swoon over. Still, he looked strong and utterly confident in his body.

One arm was slung over the pillow and the other hung limply against the bed, looking for the woman it was previously wrapped around. He looked empty.

What was below his waist was covered loosely by a white cotton sheet, but Hermione was very familiar with what was hidden from view. The thought of it made Hermione blush.

He was truly lovely to look at, but while she lay awake in her bedroom, watching her lover sleep peacefully, Hermione began to feel anger well up inside of her. She'd promised that this _thing_ with Lucius Malfoy was going to stop, but somehow she found herself giving into him again and again.

She was disgusted that she found herself bound by his whims, his schedule, his life. Despite all of his words, his promises, she knew that he would never be able to live up to what she wanted, what she needed.

Her heart was breaking and it was all her fault because she constantly set herself up to fail. She couldn't believe that she'd brought Lucius back to her home again after the ministry party. It needed to stop before she was so broken that she wasn't even Hermione Granger any more, just some hollow, bitter copy of the bright girl she once was.

How could she be such a fool to give in to him again?

* * *

Hermione had come to resent the continual circuit of Ministry parties that had become a revolving door of the elite being put on show to prove how good they were and how much they cared about helping war orphans or veterans.

She knew the truth. None of these people really cared if an orphanage got built or if people got therapy to deal with their mental wounds that still lingered. They just cared about drinking and socialising, and showing off the new dress robes that they got that likely cost more than the donation they were going to be making that evening. She hated being paraded around as a war heroine, the same way that Ron and Harry were.

She never took to it as well as the boys did. The papers were always a bit crueler about her social life.

Still, she would dress herself in form fitting Gryffindor red dresses, her lion's mane of hair artfully arranged in an updo to pull back the fiery personality that she possessed. She drank champagne and danced with older wizards who had bad breath and let their hands wander. She avoided her _friends_ and stayed only long enough as was socially acceptable.

For a while, her salvation from these events was sneaking out on balconies with Lucius, sneaking kisses and touches, and drinking whole bottles of pilfered champagne, getting drunk and stumbling back to her flat to join in glorious abandon.

But, he'd shown up with his gorgeous wife on his arm, she being the polar opposite of Hermione physically. She was tall and had curves in all the right places, as the boys would say, with long, straight blonde hair, and a classically beautiful face. She didn't need to wear dresses with artfully arranged ruching to disguise her lacking cleavage.

The Malfoys had swept into the room together, Lucius's large hand resting on the small of her back, guiding her around the room with a perfect smile on his face. Hermione hated the bitter taste in her mouth when she saw his hand stray lower than was publically acceptable.

Spinning away from the sight, from her lover, she made her way to the bar. Normally at these parties, she only drank champagne, but tonight she needed a bit more, and she requested a firewhiskey. She drank half of it in one gulp, trying not to wince at the burn as the liquid slipped down her throat.

For a while, Hermione mingled with her coworkers, counting down the minutes until she could leave this awful place. It was too painful to see him with her, especially when they looked so perfect, when they looked so right with one another. She hated seeing the pair of them laughing away with the Minister.

Extracting herself from a very one-sided conversation with Padma Patil, Hermione decided that she didn't care if her absence was noted. She didn't need to subject herself to this. Rifling through the coat room, she couldn't help but give out a yelp when someone grabbed her, pressing hot lips to her own.

Her not-so-mysterious attacker broke the kiss. She could never forget those lips. "Did you really think that you were going to leave without even saying hello to me?" Lucius's voice was sauve, like silk slipping over her naked body.

She tried to take a step back. "I thought you seemed quite preoccupied. Didn't think you'd even realized I was here." She knew that she sounded jealous, and she hated herself for that. "Now, if you don't mind I was heading home."

He was peppering kisses up and down her neck, one large hand inside her dress, palming her breast, the heel of his hand pressed against her hard nipple. "Take me with you?" He whispered in her ear, and Hermione could _feel_ his smirk when she whimpered. He knew exactly how much he affected her. "As lovely as you look in this dress, I would love to know what you've got on underneath."

Clearing her head, Hermione tried desperately to remember the blonde woman in the other room. "Lucius, you promised me. What about Narcissa?" She should know by now that his promises were all the same. Empty.

But then he pressed himself fully against her, and she could feel his aching cock against her belly, and her concerns were melting away in a lustful haze of firewhiskey. "Narcissa cannot know." He said definitely. "Shall we?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, knowing that she should say no, but she found herself a bit breathless and telling him yes. She could feel his urgency through the side-along apparition to her flat. He was just as desperate as she was to get naked beneath the sheets.

When she opened her eyes, they were in her moonlit room, and she was tugging his long hair from the band that held it neatly at his nape. Savagely, she gripped him by his hair, forcing his lips against her, pressing her tongue between his lips to spar and parry with her.

Then, he was pushing them back and they were tumbling, tumbling onto her bed, and he was covering her body with his own, his body moving like the predator that he was. His hands worked their way behind her body to unzip her figure hugging dress, and Hermione was shimmying out of the silky fabric, leaving it in a heap on the floor, and leaving her bare except for nude, lace knickers.

The look in his grey eyes reminded her of why she did this, again and again. He always looked so in awe of her, as if his words were momentarily stolen.

He got over his shock soon enough, his mouth dropping to one breast, laving her nipple with his tongue and alternating with hard sucks that left her wet between the legs and arching for more. This other hand pinched the neglected nipple, making her whine. Her finger made quick work on the buttons that kept his dress robes together, wanting him to be as bare as she was.

By the time that he kissed down her belly to her sex, Hermione was certain that she'd soaked through her knickers, and she hissed when he pulled them down her legs. His tongue wasn't tentative when he sought out her clit, only confident, confident that he could play her body just right and make her sing. Two long fingers entered her channel, thrusting into her and making her cry out.

Part of the eroticism of it, to Hermione at least, was that it was _Lucius Malfoy_ doing this to her, a mudblood. And knowing that he loved it just as much as she did. Before long, she was coming around his fingers, hips rocking as he sucked her between his lips, letting her ride out the waves of orgasm.

She watched in a daze as he licked his fingers clean, moaning at her taste, before pushing his own boxer briefs down his pale, strong legs. It was another thing she found utterly attractive about him. His confidence to just go after what he wanted, without fear of rejection. And maybe the sight of his proud cock jutting out from his body, wiry golden curls surrounding the base.

He grabbed one of her legs, pushing her knee towards her chest and placing his cock at her entrance. He hesitated for a brief second, giving her the chance to decline, before seating himself fully inside her, groaning at the feel of being fully encapsulated by her cunt.

Hermione pulled him down to kiss her while she adjusted to his size, until he began thrusting. Then, she had to pull her mouth away to sing her praises to the heavens, not caring how wanton she sounded moaning for Lucius Malfoy. "Yes!" She cried, again and again, as he rubbed her exactly the right way.

Lucius peppered kisses against her face and neck, interspersed with praises about how good she was. "Couldn't stop staring at you in that bloody dress."

"Wanted to take you in front of the entire ministry."

"Merlin, can you feel what you do to me?"

Until, finally, her walls were fluttering around him in orgasm, white light flashing behind her eyes, and he was collapsing against her, her name groaned into her ear when he spilt his seed inside of her.

When they'd recovered, he gently lowered her leg, pulling himself from inside her, and rolling off her body. He lay on his side, pulling her head to look back at him. He lurched forward, planting a sloppy kiss on her lips, their tongues joining in a lazy dance. Hermione moaned, feeling her lust for him growing again all too soon.

She pulled away, before things could get out of hand. _As if they haven't already_. She thought, her bitterness creeping back into her mind.

Lucius gave her a lazy smile, before pulling her body against him, so that she was nestled against him. Her head was tucked under his on the pillow, his arm wrapped around her waist not giving her an inch to move away. His feet intertwined with hers.

Hermione could hear his deep, even breaths and knew that Lucius had drifted off into slumber. Before long, her own eyes were slipping shut.

* * *

As if sensing her eyes on his body, Lucius's eyes opened, slowly blinking the sleep from his slate gray eyes. He gave her a cautious half smile, as if sensing the turmoil in her eyes. "Hermione, is everything alright?" He asked, his voice husky, gravelly with sleep.

Hermione detested the excited shiver that raced up and down her spine at the sound of his voice, hating her traitorous body. Then she remembered his words from the night before, that he still hadn't told Narcissa…

"Please, just go away." Hermione told him, her voice wobbling from the pressure of her tears. She wanted to sob her heart out, but she also didn't want to break down. "Just leave me alone. It would be kinder to me."

That got Lucius's attention and he immediately sat up. "Hermione, I don't understand." He tried to push back a lock of her hair, but she jerked away as if burnt.

"It's too hard, I can't do this any more Lucius. I don't even want to look at you." She sat up as well, pulling the sheet around her bare breasts, covering herself from his view. "I can't keep doing this."

"But, Hermione, you know how much I care for you." He said, not accustomed to not getting his way in everything he desired. He thought he could talk his way out of this with pretty words and promises, but at this point his games wouldn't work on her.

Hermione felt the tears spill over her eyelashes when she shut her eyes, fat salty droplets rolling down her cheeks. "I know that you care, Lucius, but it's not enough. Please don't even try to tell me you _love_ me either. Can't you see that this isn't fair to me?" She set her jaw, her resolve strengthening. "It's not fair to Narcissa either." Although the cold blonde woman's feelings were the least of her worries.

Lucius let out a breath of air through his nostrils, as though he were trying to calm himself down. "You know Narcissa means nothing to me, Hermione. You mean so much more to me than she ever could." Hermione wondered what he thought when he looked at her, his muggleborn mistress. Could he ever grow to care enough about her to give her the life she needed?

"But somehow, you don't care about me enough to break it off with her." Hermione accused. "It's not enough for you to tell me you care, I don't want your empty words, Lucius." She said, strongly, letting all of her pent up resentment spill over.

Hermione wiped desperately at her tears, hating that she was so weak in front of him, but unable to stop. She tried to watch dispassionately as he slowly rose from the bed, his naked body completely revealed to her eyes as he redressed, clearly trying to give her time to recall him.

Once he was completely covered once more, he looked at her, hurt clear in his eyes, and Hermione thought this might be the first true emotion that she'd seen from the devious man. "Are you sure this is what you want, Hermione?"

"Yes, I think my world will be a much better place without you in it." She said, resolutely, not willing to crumble back into his arms. "Please, just go away."

Lucius nodded once more, before he turned and left her bedroom. She didn't walk him out, he was familiar enough with her flat that he knew the way to the door. Once she heard the latch click shut, she allowed herself to break down.

Flopping back against her pillows, her body racked with sobs while she clutched the pillow he'd slept on, hating herself that she loved his scent.

Several hours after he'd left her tears had dried, but she still hadn't moved herself from her bed, even though the stickiness between her legs disgusted her. She laid there, watching the sun move slowly across the room, taking a moment to reveal in the warmth it provided.

She let her mind wander to how she'd allowed it to get so bad. How on earth had she allowed herself to get so sucked into his web, and how did she let herself get sucked in time and time again? How had she let herself become so affected by him, his presence?

What had happened to Hermione Granger to make her this way?


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed last chapter! It seems like so many of you are stretching out of your comfort zone to read a Lumione, and it means a lot to me that you are giving it a shot! This chapter starts the back story, and occurs approximately one year before last chapter.

Please let me know what you think of chapter two and be on the lookout for chapter three soon!

* * *

 **June, 1999**

The biggest thing that had gotten Hermione through her time alone at Hogwarts was remembering that she'd get to be with her friends again when she was through. True, Ginny had gone back too, but Hermione just never had the same camaraderie with Ginny that she did with Harry and Ron.

Hermione had needed to go back to Hogwarts, to sit her NEWTs and prove her intelligence once and for all. Harry and Ron were happy to take the honorary degrees and enter into Auror training. Hermione knew that was going to be difficult enough for them, so she didn't begrudge them for taking the opportunity. It just wasn't what was right for her.

She hadn't expected that going back to Hogwarts was going to feel so hollow, so empty. She was one of only three "eighth" years to come back, and she wasn't really friends with any of them, always being a bit too abrasive of a person to make friends easily, despite being a war heroine. So she looked forward to Hogsmeade weekends when Harry and Ron could come visit or their sparse letters. Hermione didn't think that anything could make her heart beat faster than getting a letter from her boyfriend, always expecting some great long missive that would perfectly express his feelings for her.

It never came.

And really, in her heart, Hermione knew it never would. Ron was never much for the written word, and she was lucky if he remembered what she was working on while at Hogwarts.

When graduation finally came, she was excited, sure that this meant that she would have more to spend with her boyfriend. Well, of course, she'd find a job and that would probably be pretty busy, and he had auror training that would keep him busy as well, but she would be staying at Grimmauld Place together, and he would be just down the hallway.

Hermione smiled to herself, getting ready for her graduation party, that they might even be able to take their physical relationship to the next level. She was a girl like any other, and she was intensely curious about what sex with Ronald Weasley might be like. Would he be a sweet lover?

Ron hadn't been back to Grimmauld Place since she returned, so the last time she'd seen him, she was wearing her Hogwarts graduation robes as she walked across the stage to receive her diploma. Though she didn't dress up often, she wanted all eyes on her, seeing as it was _her_ graduation party.

She could already hear the other guests downstairs, probably milling about waiting for the guest of honor, while she was up in her room putting the finishing touches on her outfit, wanting Ron to be totally gobsmacked when he saw her. She wanted him to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her in front of everyone.

Once her hair was arranged artfully in sleek curls, her makeup perfect (though, Hermione thought it made her look like another person...at least, it made her look more adult), and her strapless, tight, red dress in place, she looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't think she'd ever been more self conscious and excited at the same time.

A steadying charm ensured that she didn't wobble at all in her sky high pumps when she walked down the narrow stairs towards the parlor in Grimmauld Place, where her friends were waiting. She pushed the door open, more confident than she'd been in months...

...only to have the confidence ripped from her when she saw Ron's arm slung around Romilda Vane's shoulder, trying to hide the fact that he was touching her breast by playing with her long, black hair.

He noticed her immediately, and if he saw her falter in her movements, he didn't mention it. "Hey 'Mione!" He greeted, huge smile plastered on his face. Hermione hated that insipid nickname. "You know my girlfriend, Romilda."

For a moment, she felt as if she were in a bizarre dream. But then, that stupid goofy grin never came off his face and she realized this was really happening. Hermione wanted to shout at him, wanted to say she knew very well who Romilda was, as she'd just spent the last school year with her. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but it was solidly between burning rage and overwhelming sadness. She wasn't sure if she was going to break down and cry or hex Ronald Weasley to bits.

She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Oh yes, we've certainly run into each other in the Gryffindor common room before." Hermione cringed, seeing Ron's eyes sweep up and down her body, appraising her looks. It was made worse by the fact that she had specifically dressed up for him. "May I speak with you, privately?"

Turning on her heal, Hermione didn't wait for his response before she sauntered off in the direction of the library. She was pleased when she heard his footsteps hastening behind her, knowing that she was pissed off about something. "What's the matter 'Mione?" He asked once they were in the relative sanctuary of the library.

"What the fuck are you playing at, Ron?" She demanded, feeling her fingers tighten around her wand. Her previously perfectly coiffed hair was going wild from the excess magic she could feel buzzing on her skin, begging to be unleashed. "What do you mean the Romilda is your _girlfriend_?"

Ron looked puzzled, to his credit. "Romilda is my girlfriend. We've been dating for two weeks." He insisted, as though it was something everyone knew.

"Really? Because I was under the impression that _I_ was your girlfriend." Hermione countered, her jaw set. Really, the nerve of him bringing that little attention seeker to _her_ graduation party. It was as if he'd done it to hurt her intentionally. "And that I had been since after the Final Battle."

She watched as his face was transformed by a patronizing smile, as if she were just so _stupid_ that it was precious. "Oh, 'Mione." He said, as if he cared. "You didn't honestly think that, did you? I thought I was clear that we were just having a bit of fun."

Hermione could feel her nostrils flare and her voice went a bit shrill. "Oh, and I suppose that months of Hogsmeade visits and sucking your cock was just a bit of fun, then, was it?" She'd done so much for him, with little favor in return, but she'd rationalized it, that they'd make up for lost time once she'd graduated.

"Come on, you're not serious?" He asked, before a bit of glee flashed on his face. "Oh, you are! Come on, Hermione, you _knew_ we were just friends with benefits. I can't be too serious right now...I'm a war hero."

Hermione wanted to throttle Ronald Weasley, but he was saved by the arrival of Harry and Ginny. "Hey, what are you guys doing in her? Ro is going nuts out there that you left her alone, Ron." Harry said, clapping the redhead on the shoulder.

"You knew?" Hermione accused, wondering if everyone had been laughing at her behind her back, too stupid to realize that she was being led on by Ron Weasley.

"What are you talking about, Hermione?" Harry asked, his face tipping to the side.

Ron could barely keep the self satisfied look of his face. "Hermione was just...well, she thought that she and I were dating, and she got a bit upset when I introduced her to Ro." Ron said, the three others in the room all in on some secret joke.

"Oh, Hermione." Ginny whined, pity for the curly haired witch evident on her face. Hermione wanted to snarl at her. They'd gone to Hogwarts together. Couldn't Ginny have told her what a fool she was making of herself.

"Don't!" Hermione said, taking a step back like a cornered animal. "You saw when he gave me a locket for Christmas. It says 'Forever Mine' in it! Why didn't you tell me if you knew? Why would you ever think I would be okay with this?" She really felt like she didn't even know them any more.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I just figured you guys would have had it sorted. I didn't think it was my business." It was one of Harry's flaws. He never wanted to get in the middle of Ron and Hermione, he never wanted to pick a side. So sometimes, doing nothing was just easier for him.

Hermione ripped the necklace from around her neck, the clasp breaking open. She threw it on the ground at Ron Weasley's feet. "Here. Maybe you can give this too Romilda." She spat at him, before pushing past her friends and making her way to the stairs, back up to her room.

"But what about your graduation party?" Harry called at her retreating form.

She shook her head. "This whole thing was a mistake. Moving into Grimmauld Place was a mistake. I am going to pack my things, and I will be out tomorrow morning." She knew it was probably an overreaction, but she just felt so betrayed by her three friends. Didn't anyone of them have the niggling feeling that she didn't know?

Someone began following her up the stairs, but then she heard Ron's low voice. "Just leave it, mate. She'll calm down in the morning, and then change her mind. Come on, let's go back to the party."

Feeling completely cast aside, Hermione finally let the hot tears in her eyes spill down her cheeks, before furiously wiping them away. She wasn't going to change her mind.

* * *

Hermione was up and out of Grimmauld Place, all of her belongings neatly packed in her little beaded bag, before the other three residents had even stirred. After a long night of partying, she was sure that they all had raging hangovers.

She did feel a bit of malicious joy at knowing none of them would be able to brew the hangover potion she was sure they were counting on her to take care of, and she'd dumped the rest of what she could find in the bathroom potions cabinet. They'd taken her for granted one too many times.

She set out from the London townhouse with the intent of purchasing a small flat. She'd been given a sizeable monetary reward with her Order of Merlin, First Class, and seeing as the goblins still weren't allowing her to reopen her vault at Gringotts, she carried it with her everywhere she went.

Seeing that she was willing to pay cash up front, she was able to procure a one bedroom flat in Diagon Alley before lunch time. It probably didn't hurt that she was _the_ Hermione Granger, either. The flat had a sizeable master bathroom and even a powder room off of her living room, ensuring that her guests wouldn't have to go tramping through her bedroom to use the loo.

By dinner time, Hermione had completely unpacked, having even purchased enough furniture to make it looked lived in. She was working on reorganizing her books for the third time, trying to do anything to keep her mind of the betrayal of her friends. She just knew in her heart that Ron had always known that she thought that they were dating, and took advantage of the situation anyway. How could he not?

What really hurt, though, was Harry and Ginny's reaction. It seemed to her that they somehow thought she was overreacting, when really, it was as if she'd been cheated on the whole year! How was it possible that they wouldn't take her side?

Thinking about this was making her stomach hurt, and Hermione decided that she needed something to keep her mind off it. A copy of the _Daily Prophet_ sat open on the newly purchased kitchen table.

Hermione padded over to the paper, thumbing through to the classifieds. She had thought she'd give herself a little time to get settled before she looked for a job, but now the idea of having something to keep her mind off of Ron seemed like the perfect idea.

She found about fifteen jobs that she was well qualified for - having received eleven NEWTs, all Os - and that would suit her needs, and pay her a good salary. She sat at the kitchen table, then, writing fifteen cover letters for the jobs, each tailored specifically to the job requirements, unique and personal and professional.

It was times like this that Hermione wished the wizarding world used a word processor. Even after taking all of those exams, her hand ached from the effort of writing all those tiny words. Once she was done, she felt satisfied, knowing that she'd made the right decision.

While she surely hurt now, she was making good changes for her life. Things were looking up, and she would be better with Ron behind her. She had a great new flat, and she just knew that she would get a great house. Standing, she went down to the post office to send off all of her cover letters.

As she watched the owls fly away, she felt hope.

* * *

Even though Hermione had felt hopeful, she certainly hadn't expected to get a response the very next morning for a job. It was an enthusiastic note of her accomplishments and an offer of a job, beginning the following Monday.

Hermione never thought that the International Magical Trading Standards Board at the Ministry would offer her a job, and without even giving her an interview. She was excited, as she was quite curious about the economics about it. Everyone expected that she would do something with Magical Law, but she wanted to be nowhere near the Auror Department...

The Trading Board would be exciting, fast paced, and she was sure that it would afford her a lot of opportunity to travel as well. She knew that they did a lot of business in Paris, but she knew that they did business with loads of countries as well. Hermione loved to travel, even going so far as Bulgaria to visit Viktor back in school.

She was so excited about the prospects of the job, she had a quill and parchment in hand, accepting the job offer before she knew it. She knew that even though she was feeling glad now, if she had too much time to think on her own, she would start feeling depressed again about her friends actions.

No, it was better to throw herself head first in a new job as quickly as possible. Who knew, maybe she could even try to make some new friends in her department! Watching the bird fly away, she was excited at what the future was going to hold.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed after last chapter! Alright, so I was doing a bit of re-org for this story's plot flow, and just note that this chapter is way longer than the others will (usually) be...so don't get used to it, haha! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I sometimes post updates and sneak peaks!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter three, and be on the lookout for chapter four soon!

* * *

The following Monday came very quickly to Hermione's joy. She'd been doing a lot of research on the department of the MInistry of Magic she would be joining and avoiding owls from Harry who was trying to convince her to move back into Grimmauld Place. Even if she hadn't already purchased a flat, she still wouldn't entertain the idea, especially not so soon.

She didn't think she could handle seeing Romilda about all the time.

She remembered how even Harry had called her Ro...how was it even possible that the pair of them knew each other well enough to go by nicknames? Romilda had been at Hogwarts same as Hermione and she barely saw her two _best_ friends as it was. Just when had Ron found the time to date her?

Although she was excited for her job to start, she was intensely curious and a little bit suspicious about what she would be doing there. It was just...who offered someone a job without evening meeting them, without interviewing them? Sure, she had some celebrity, but it was still highly unusual.

A part of her worried that she might be pulled into something illegal or otherwise horrible. She knew that they were probably just understaffed...and well, her NEWTs were highly impressive.

That's what she told herself while she got dressed in a set of raspberry colored robes. She sighed, looking at herself in the mirror. Her hair looked professional, pulled back in a French twist, but she probably should have gotten her robes tailored, but she'd been in such a rush, and she only just bought them that weekend. She wished that she'd bothered to learn some of the tailoring charms that Lavender knew while she was in Hogwarts.

Deciding that she looked as good as she was going to get, she settled into a sensible pair of black heels (no more than two inches high), and stared at her in the mirror. "This is going to be a good day, Hermione. This is a good thing." She gave herself a little pep talk, wanting to keep an open mind and get off on the right foot with her new coworkers.

Her flat was in Diagon Alley, so it was only a short walk to the Ministry, and she didn't have to bother with the London entrances. She couldn't imagine how awful it would be to have to flush herself in every day. She made a mental note to see about hooking her fireplace up to the floo network, so that she could maybe start flooing into her office.

Plus, when she inevitably forgave Harry, Ron and Ginny, it would be nice to be able to firecall them every now and again.

Before she knew it, Hermione was waiting in a little vestibule where the secretary's desk was. Hermione had been expecting someone a bit younger, but the old woman was kind and welcoming, and it calmed some of Hermione's nerves. Surely this woman wouldn't be working for a shady business, would she.

Finally, the secretary, a Mrs. Higgs, was given leave to take her back. "This is where the analysts sit." She said, showing a cluster of desks near a beautiful window. Hermione knew that they were deep underground, so the spectacular view had to be enchanted, but it was still a lovely touch.

"And over here is where the lawyer is. He reviews all contracts, but is out of the office for the moment." Hermione saw his desk was absolutely covered with papers, and was surrounded by several filing cabinets, making Hermione think it looked quite a little fort. She was excited to meet the lawyer, because she was fascinated by the art of contract negotiation.

Hermione wasn't very good at negotiation. She tended to take too firm a stance when she should be more willing to compromise, but she couldn't help wanting to do what was right. She was as unyielding as her wand.

"You will be working closely with the department head, so your desk will be right outside of his office." Mrs. Higgs said, showing Hermione to a beautiful dark wood desk. It suited her immensely and she couldn't wait to set it up.

She was intensely curious about who the department head was, so she left her purse on the desk, and followed Mrs. Higgs to the only closed office in their department. The woman knocked confidently on the door, before turning the knob and entering, allowing Hermione to follow after her.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy. Miss Granger is here for her first day." Mrs. Higgs said with a bright smile on her face.

As soon as Hermione had locked eyes with Lucius Malfoy, she felt her heart sink. So much for a great job, she thought darkly, knowing that this must be some kind of trick. "Good morning, Mr. Malfoy." She said, no hint of a smile on her face, but wanting to be polite.

"Ah, yes, Miss Granger. We are so excited to have you on as a cultural liaison and economic analyst." He said, in that cool impolite way of his. "Now, I am sure you have all sorts of things yet to do this morning, forms to fill out and the like, so I won't take up any more of your time." His voice was stilted, perhaps expecting rejection. "I hope that you will feel quite at home here."

Hermione gave him a stiff nod of her head, before turning from the room and following Mrs. Higgins back to her desk. The older woman did leave her with quite the stack of papers to fill out for human resources and an employee manual to read through.

Try as she might, Hermione couldn't focus on the words she was meant to be writing, and cursed when a drip of ink from her poised quill bled into the white parchment. How was she meant to fill out this banal paperwork when she just found out that Lucius _bleeding_ Malfoy was to be her boss?

Just thinking of the man made her very mad. After the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione had fully expected the man to spend the rest of his days rotting away in Azkaban prison where he belonged. He couldn't claim the imperious curse this time around, as the Death Eaters hadn't been exactly subtle during the second wizarding war.

Hermione had attended all of the Death Eater trails, wanting to make sure that everyone got their just rewards, and she'd spoken at a fair few as well. For instance, she'd given Draco Malfoy quite the character reference, knowing that he was nothing more than a scared boy.

She'd given no such favors to Lucius Malfoy. He'd been sentenced to ten years in the rock island prison, but with the possibility of parole. It turned out that Lucius Malfoy still had friends in the Ministry, and he'd come out, not even six months later.

The pictures of him being released had been awful. He looked completely disheveled, with ratty hair and even a beard. His eyes were a bit wild, and honestly, it made Hermione feel back for him, seeing the normally put together wizard so out of his element, in a dire moment. It wasn't right for the paper to publish the picture.

But then, she saw him today, looking every bit as suave and put together as he usually was, it really got under her skin. His straight, white blond hair was pulled back at the nape of his neck, and he didn't have a hint of facial hair on his smooth jawline. He looked every bit as handsome as he always had.

And that rankled Hermione more than she ever thought it was. Shaking her head, Hermione looked back down to her papers, knowing that she will need to complete these no matter what. Throwing herself into the mountains of paperwork (really, on her first day?), letting it pull her mind from thoughts of her new boss and how handsome he was.

Smiling, Hermione realized that she hadn't even thought of Ronald once that day. At least that was a plus.

* * *

Hermione spent the rest of her day reading her employee and conduct manuals. She'd met some of her other coworkers earlier that day, but they hadn't stuck around to talk to her for too long. She'd had a very lonely lunch in the lunchroom, sitting by herself at one of the big long tables, and she was briefly reminded of her first days at Hogwarts, before she'd befriended Harry and Ron.

She felt a lump settle in her throat, once again thinking about the pain those two boys put her through. She'd made a terrible mistake, taking this job, just to have something to focus on besides her hurt feelings. It was so un-Hermione-ish she almost couldn't believe that she'd been so impulsive.

Still, now, here she was, waiting for Lucius Malfoy to dismiss her, so that she could go home to her lonely little flat. Maybe she should get another familiar, she thought briefly. Crookshanks hadn't been found after the war, and Hermione liked to think that he'd gone peacefully. He was a rather old cat, even being half-Kneazle.

A clearing throat broke her from her melancholy, and Hermione looked up to see Lucius Malfoy at the door to his office. "Did you have an enjoyable first day with us, Miss Granger?" He asked, taking note that they were the only two people left in the office.

Hermione wheeled around, all of her annoyance that had been building over the day coming to the forefront of her mind. Just what was he thinking, acting like it was completely normal for them to be in this working relationship? She just knew that he had some kind of nefarious purpose, asking her to work here. "Is this some kind of joke?" She asked, surprised by the tone of her voice. She sounded much more angry than she thought she would.

Malfoy looked at her in surprise, his eyes widening, obviously not expecting to spar verbally with her, after she'd been so polite in the morning. "I am afraid I don't understand what you mean." He said, silver eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

"Giving me this job?" Hermione said, needing to get to the bottom of it. "I'll bet you just couldn't stand one last jibe when my cover letter came across your desk, could you? You just had to put me in my place one last time." Hermione stood up. "You knew I would never have accepted if I knew you were the department head, and that's why you didn't interview me."

"It wasn't a joke." Lucius said, calmly, his face once again an impassive mask, not revealing to Hermione what he was thinking. It made her sick. Everything he did was so fake, that she wasn't sure even Lucius Malfoy knew what his true personality was like.

"Oh really?" She countered, hands on her hips and her voice shrill. "This has nothing to do with you rubbing my nose in the fact that I am nothing more than a mudblood? That my only place could be as little more than a glorified secretary for you? That my place will be forever _beneath_ you?"

Hermione blushed, at the unintended innuendo in her words, and from the amused look on Lucius's face, he noticed it as well. Unbidden, an image of Lucius Malfoy naked and above her popped into her brain.

"I assure you _that_ was not my intent, Miss Granger." Lucius told her, a frown on his face. "You were simply above and beyond the most qualified candidate to come across my desk the past three months that the position has been open."

Hermione stood there, mouth agape, unable to believe that Lucius Malfoy had compliment her.

He continued. "I didn't feel the need to interview, having first hand knowledge of your work ethic and general temperament. I won't accept anything less than the best, Miss Granger, and you simply were it." She still couldn't respond to him. Of all the things she expected Malfoy to do, speak highly of her was not it. "Now, I think you are done for the day. Please arrive tomorrow morning at 8 AM sharp."

Then, the blond man turned on his heel and retreated back into his office. Hermione stood for a moment, dumbfounded, before gathering her purse and deciding to take his advice. She left her little office, slipping into Muggle London deciding to get a some take away from a Thai place she knew.

Once she'd secured her dinner, and a bottle of red wine from the off-license, she returned to her empty flat. Hermione didn't even have time to contemplate the crushing loneliness that she felt, her thoughts consumed instead with Lucius Malfoy's words.

Even though he said it wasn't a trick, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to something. And just how did he get the job as department head anyway? She was certain it must be some kind of cronyism. He had enough money not to work ever, so what did he get out of it? She was sure that she would have to do all of the work, and he would just swoop in and take her credit!

Annoyed, and slightly buzzing from the half bottle of red wine that she drank, Hermione was certain of one thing. She couldn't stay at that job, working for that spoiled, lazy prick! It was foolish for her to accept the job without interviewing, and she should have waited to see what other offers she received before making a decision. Hermione Granger normally made all sorts of pros and cons lists about this, but instead, she'd jumped in face first.

Her mind made up, Hermione felt a little better about the situation. She would just have to continue to look for another job. Her time with the Trading Board would certainly pass the time, but it couldn't be permanent. Not if it meant working with Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

No matter how much she wrote to other departments in within the Ministry, everyone had already heard that she was working with the International Magical Trading Standards Board and couldn't imagine why she would want to leave such a cutting edge and desireable Department, so they wouldn't even give her the time of day.

She was sure that they just thought she was shopping around for a better salary. She couldn't just come out and say that she couldn't stand working with Lucius Malfoy.

It would make her look like she couldn't put history in the past, where the rest of the wizarding world wanted the war to stay.

And really, Hermione did find it a little bit ridiculous that she couldn't just put it behind her and get on with her life. It was just that she was so positive that he was doing this on purpose to put her in her rightful place.

Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before Malfoy would start asking her to do secretarial duties for him...copy papers, get him coffee, pick up his immaculately dry-cleaned clothes. She knew that he knew that she was on to him, to his plan, so he couldn't do it now, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

Being constantly on guard was causing a heaviness to settle in her stomach, and she was afraid she might be getting an ulcer.

To try to keep her mind off of what was surely soon to happen, Hermione completely threw herself into her work. She always arrived on time, and stayed late to finish things up, but she didn't make a point of staying behind. She didn't want to spend any more time with Lucius than was necessary.

If she had her head down in a book reviewing current trade agreements, she didn't notice Malfoy coming into the office in the morning, or his small murmur of good morning every day. If her desk was covered the tomes pulled from the Ministry archives, she didn't have to respond to Malfoy's offer of a tea service.

It did help that Hermione's work was actually quite interesting. Of course, she did take the job because she thought it would be lively work, and work that could bring a lot of good to the people of Wizarding Britain, if she could help negotiate fair trade deals with other countries. While most of their agreements were with France, they had recently began making more deals with Germany, other Eastern European countries, and even the far East.

Currently, she was working on a trade agreement with Bulgaria of all countries. It seemed that they had some kind of wood that was especially good for making wands and they wanted to import some British unicorn hairs for wand making. It was a fairly standard deal, but Hermione was excited because of the connection to Viktor.

Although the two were no longer romantically involved, Hermione and Viktor remained fast friends and frequently wrote to each other. She wondered if she might be selected to go on the trade mission to Bulgaria. If she was lucky, she might even be able to take a few extra days to go and visit her old friend.

Still, even if a trade deal was standard, it was never simple. There were numerous permits that would need to be secured by both the British and Bulgarian Ministries for transporting material from such a rare and endangered animal, to ensure that everything was responsibly sourced. Hermione was wading through the complex legal needs to push the deal through, and she wondered if the Wizarding World would ever consider a Union, kind of like the European Union that the muggles had.

She doubted that anything like that could be passed by the current Wizengamot, who seemed to move at a glacial pace, and be desperately opposed to change.

Hermione was pleasantly surprised to learn one thing about Malfoy though. It seemed that he was working as hard as she was. Honestly, she expected him to just have this job as some kind of cushy automatic paycheck, and for him to delegate all of his real work to his underlings, only to soak up all the praise and accolades.

He always arrived on time, and he usually worked through his lunches. Hermione often found his light still on in his office as well when she left for the evening. With her desk so close to his office, she could often hear his voice making fire calls to various important people, and he was quite good at what he did, knowing exactly which buttons to push to get a deal to do through.

Hermione frowned. It just proved what she already knew about Lucius Malfoy. He was a master manipulator and willing to do whatever he needed to to get what he wanted.

* * *

Hermione had been sitting at her desk, quill in her mouth, trying to pen the perfect response to Harry, who wanted to meet her for lunch. He figured that as they both worked in the Ministry, they should have no trouble getting together every now and again.

And it was rather convenient, it was just that Hermione still wasn't ready to see any of her friends yet. She was still so upset over what had happened with Ronald. She couldn't believe that Harry believed the tripe that Ron must have told them about how he and Hermione were just casual. Harry knew her better than that, didn't he?

Still, she just couldn't face him today and pretend that things were fine and ask nice questions about how his relationship with Ginny was going, when her own relationship was so violently ripped apart. She didn't want to hear him casually mention Ron in conversation, pointedly ignoring the fact that the redhead had cheated on her, with a girl who'd tried to slip Harry himself a love potion once before!

While she was working on a polite answer to Harry, she was saved by an inter-departmental memo, inviting her to a meeting. Hermione smiled and sent Harry her regrets, telling him she had a work meeting, before hastily adding a note that they would get together soon. She would consider how to keep that promise later.

Walking into the meeting, Malfoy was seated at the head of the table, with a space at his right left open for her. Hermione schooled her feature into polite grace, not wanting to have a temper tantrum in front of the rest of the very important wizards around the table.

"Gentlemen, this is Miss Granger." Malfoy said, with a polite nod to Hermione. "I am sure that you will be seeing her much more frequently. She's been working diligently on the Bulgarian trade deal."

That caught Hermione off guard. Why was he making such a grandiose introduction to a woman that was likely just invited here to take minutes? She knew that her reputation for being a fastidious note taker - whether deserved or not - was well known, so she took out a quill, dating the top of the page, ready to write down whatever was discussed.

She could play along _this_ time for Malfoy, but she'd draw the line at fetching him tea or biscuits.

The meeting was surprisingly interesting to Hermione. Apparently they were trying to work out a scheme to repatriate some old wizarding artifacts which had been plundered by Romans long before the time of Hogwarts. It was part of a greater trade deal with Italy that would see them trading tomatoes and rubies.

Hermione chewed the feathered end of her quill absent mindedly and wondered if all trade agreements were going to be so odd. Did they select those two items just on the basis that both items were red, she wondered. Not to mention all of the issues that would come up with the goblins.

"I see one major flaw with this, Trade Minister, and that is the goblins." Malfoy said in his slightly haughty tone. Hermione was sure that was a reflex now. Still, it was impressive that he'd even considered them. "Miss Granger, I understand that you have quite a complex understanding of goblin culture. Do you have anything to add?"

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up, and she hoped that he wasn't insinuating about her time breaking into Gringotts. There was no laughter at the table, though, so Hermione proceeded with caution. "The goblins will never agree to let such large quantities of rubies leave the country. We get payment in the form of tomatoes, but the goblins have no such use for tomatoes, and they see a large amount of capital leave their bank."

The Italian Trade Minister looked a bit annoyed with her, but Malfoy just gave her an encouraging nod. "So what do you suggest then?" The grouchy Italian demanded of her, not wanting a huge trade to fall through just because of this chit.

"You will need to make separate payment to the goblins. We do not think of iron ore as being terribly precious when compared to rubies, but the goblins will go for it." Hermione said, feeling confident in herself for a momentary change. He may not like it, but she was certain she helped save this trade deal.

The Trade Minister looked to Malfoy, before jerking his head up and down. Malfoy gave the room a bright smile, so clearly put upon, and pressed his hands together. "Excellent. We can set up a meeting to liaise with the goblins later this week then." Sticking out his hand, Malfoy and the Minister shook, promising to stick together.

Hermione tried to hustle out of the meeting room afterwards, unwilling to spend much time in Malfoy's presence. It had been interesting to watch him work. He was quite knowledgeable, but still, there was something oily about him that Hermione desperately wanted to wash off.

Still, she heard his steps catching up to hers, long legs quickly overtaking her shorter strides. By the time that they reached her desk, Hermione could avoid him no longer. "You did quite well today, Miss Granger." He said, searching her face. "I was impressed with you."

Then, he turned on his heel and returned to his own office, leaving Hermione standing there speechless. She'd expected him to treat her like little more than dirt, but he had listened to her thoughts, and respected and valued her opinion, in front of a room of such powerful men.

The blond man confused her, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it one bit.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed after last chapter. Your words give such a boost to my day. I once had a review for Can't Change the Way I Am that said Daphne was kind of like a bossy fairy godmother, and I loved that! Of course, she had to appear in this as well, so I hope you like her: Daphne Greengrass, the BFG.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter four, and be on the lookout for chapter five soon!

* * *

 **July, 1999**

As the first two weeks of her time working at the Ministry wound down to an end, Hermione found herself working later and later each evening, sometimes even closing up the office. It was partially the work that kept her, but Hermione could also admit that it was easier to keep avoiding her friends that way.

Hermione worked hard. Her friends would believe that Hermione Granger couldn't meet them out for drinks because she was too busy working.

For some reason, they hadn't gotten the message that she was still quite cross with them. And, honestly, she would love to go out on this Friday - her first official paycheck! - but instead, she sent off an owl letting them know she was just too busy. It was times like this that Hermione wished she'd made some more friends, but alas, she had not.

Since she didn't actually have anything going on, she decided to just stay and finish the Bulgarian deal, seeing as she'd finally figured out the last permit, which had been quite tricky to translate. She was diligently scratching notes along with her quill when throat clearing caught her ear.

Looking up, Hermione saw another woman from her department staring down at her. "Granger." She greeted her cooly.

Hermione met her blue-green gaze confidently. "Greengrass." She responded in kind. Of course she knew who Daphne Greengrass was - they were in the same year - but Hermione had never actually spoken to the witch, so she had no idea why she seemed so annoyed with her.

"This is the second Friday I have seen you here past six." Greengrass crossed her arms over her chest, looking utterly stylish in a fawn colored shift dress and tall nude heels. Her smoky eye shadow was perfectly executed, in a way that made Hermione long for the skill. Whenever she tried, she always ended up looking like she had a black eye. The only pop of color, where her brightly colored lips.

Hermione blinked, realizing that she'd been staring at the girl. "Yes, well, I've really got a lot going on. I was just going to finish the paperwork on this last permit."

Greengrass rolled her eyes. "No one is going to be around to _approve_ the permit even if you finish it now." She flipped her dark blonde hair over her shoulder. "It can wait until Monday."

The former Gryffindor felt all of her reasoning for staying late disappear before her. She had no reason to make any excuses to Greengrass. "I suppose it could." She settled on finally, feeling a bit lame.

"Come to happy hour with me." Greengrass said suddenly. "Honestly, it's nice having another woman around here who actually knows her stuff and I will go mad if you leave because you've burned out staying late every Friday."

Hermione was completely taken aback by the girls offer. Here she was just lamenting that she didn't have very many friends, and it looked like this girl had swooped in to save her from boredom. Plus, it would be nice to get to know some of the others in her office. She was going to be here for a long time and it would be good to make friends. A drink would actually be lovely after the confusing two weeks that she'd had.

Except. "I would like that Greengrass, it's just that I just told my friends I couldn't meet them for drinks because I had work. I wouldn't want them to see us and then think I lied to them." That was a bitter pill to swallow when clearly the three of them had been lying to her all school term.

"Daphne please." The blonde smiled, sensing that she'd won this round. "As if I would take you to any establishment that would be frequented by a Potter or a Weasley." It was true. Daphne didn't go to pubs. Instead, she went to stylish rooftop bars, with fairy lights, real couches, and an impressive wine list.

Hermione bit her lower lip, considering the possibilities. She really wanted to go with. "I don't know..."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Fine, we can talk about your Bulgaria proposal for like ten...fifteen minutes tops if it will make you feel better. Then you can say we were working." She gave Hermione a wicked smirk.

"Oh, alright!" Hermione readily agreed, picking up her bag from under her desk. She was tired of thinking of everyone else's feelings. She wanted to do something for _herself_ for once. "Where are we headed?"

* * *

The rooftop bar that Daphne took Hermione to was every bit as swanky as Hermione imagined it to be, and she loved the plush couch that they were sitting on. Hermione did feel horribly under dressed though in her gray skirt suit robes, feeling quite a bit dowdy compared to the modelesque Daphne. She was sure that she wouldn't have even gotten into this bar without the presence of the former Slytherin.

The blonde looked through the wine list before ordering them a bottle of something moderately priced. Hermione was a bit surprised because she had a certain impression that pureblood girls like Daphne had little concern over how much something cost. She felt a little bit bad for making such an assumption when the girl had been so nice to her so far, and she really had no reason to be.

It put Hermione on edge, not used to someone not expecting something from her in return.

Once she had a full glass of sauvignon blanc in her hand, she let some of her curiosity get the better of her. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Daphne, I am a bit confused about why you'd ask _me_ of all people for drinks." She hoped that came off as polite, not too rude.

Daphne smirked at her, transforming her severe facial features to be playful. "Well, as I said before, you are the only other woman, besides Mrs. Higgs in our department, and I enjoy having another female to commiserate with."

"So you just asked because I'm a woman?" Hermione said, not sure if she should be offended or not.

"Well, that and I think you will be quite fun. You should have loads of stories after all." Daphne said. "I always admired you at school, you were willing to take anyone on." She took a long sip from her glass, cheeks already beginning to flush from the wine.

Hermione nibbled her lower lip. "I must say I was a bit...surprised to see you at the Ministry...I didn't think that many...women in your position got jobs?" She tried to tread delicately, knowing that she could come off as abrasive, and she didn't want to scare off a potential new friend.

"You mean pureblood girls?" Daphne asked. Seeing Hermione's quick nod, she laughed low in her throat. "Asking a question won't offend me, Hermione. Well, you see my parents let me know that my finances were contingent upon me marrying a wizard of their choosing, and after all this time of listening and being a good girl, I decided I wanted to make my own decisions. So, I got a flat, moved out and got a job to support myself."

Hermione was seriously impressed. If she remembered the girl well from school, she'd always seemed a bit meek and a bit of a follower, but Daphne was clearly not what she expected. In an odd way, Hermione was proud that her new friend was so confident. "Good for you, Daphne." Hermione said with a small smile, noticing the parallels between herself and the girl. "What made you choose international trading?"

"Well, I always enjoyed arithmancy and working with numbers." Daphne said. Hermione remembered that she was one of the only other girls in her advanced arithmancy class. "And I like learning about other cultures and travel, so I thought this was a good fit. I got to go to China over the winter holidays." Daphne said, her face lighting up, obvious enjoying talking about her job.

"That's so cool! What was it like?" Hermione asked, actually on the edge of her seat.

"Well, all the muggles kept taking pictures of me." Daphne said with a silly grin. "I felt like a fashion model. Their wizarding world and muggle world are more or less integrated. It isn't like here at all. And _most_ of the food was delicious."

"I hope that I will get to tag along on the Bulgaria trip." Hermione said, excited to share her work aspirations with someone who could actually understand what it was like. "I'm hoping to visit my good friend Viktor."

"Viktor Krum?!" Daphne practically squealed. "Are you still friends with him? Or more?"

Hermione laughed and shook her head. "No, not more, just friends. But our relationship was nice while it happened..." She trailed off feeling a bit wistful, having just ended her relationship with Ronald. It was nice to wonder what could have been if she'd reconnected the year before with Viktor at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"Ooh! I know that look. Details?" Daphne asked, pouring them each a second glass of wine.

For a moment, Hermione worried that maybe the other girl was going to use this information against her, almost ruining her good mood. But then, Hermione pushed herself knowing that not everyone was out to get her. She could trust someone else, even if they were a Slytherin. "He's very...generous." Hermione said with a secret smile. Viktor had been her only lover, before she'd gotten together with Ron, and he'd been unbelievably sweet and considerate.

Daphne sighed. "He seemed so serious and driven." She said with a waggle of her eyebrows, a shade darker than her dark blond hair. "I mean, I am very satisfied with my boyfriend, but I must say, there is always something intriguing about tall, dark and handsome. So, you know why I am in International Trading, but why are you?" Daphne asked, truly curious. "Everyone was sure you'd go into magical law."

Hermione's cheeks immediately turned red. "Well, I actually just took the first job that was offered. I had a lot on my mind and I thought it would be a good distraction." She realized now how silly that sounded, but she couldn't change anything about it now. "But, I was definitely intrigued by the position. Like you, I enjoy travel and working with people from all over the world."

Seeing Hermione nibbling her lower lip once again, Daphne knew that Hermione had more on her mind and probably wanted to talk to her about it. "So does this a lot on your mind have anything to do with the reason that you keep avoiding your friends?"

The brunette's eyes snapped to her companion's face, clearly surprised. "Who says I've been avoiding them?" She demanded.

"Please, Granger." Daphne said with a roll of her blue green eyes. "You only ever stay late at work when you get a note from Potter. Then you spend half an hour agonizing over what to write back to him." Seeing Hermione's shocked face, Daphne feigned looking offended. "What? You aren't the only one who can be observant."

"I just hadn't realized I was so obvious." Hermione said, feeling a bit dejected. She decided to open up to Daphne, who had been a surprisingly good listener so far. "Merlin, you are going to think I am so stupid." She prefaced with a laugh. "Ron and I were dating all last year. Then at _my_ graduation party, he introduced me to his girlfriend, Romilda Vane. I was upset, but Harry, Ron and Ginny acted liked I was being unreasonable. Like I should have known."

Daphne put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "I don't think you're stupid. I think your friends are arseholes." She said seriously. "And honestly, Romilda Vane? Weasley especially is an idiot if he picked her over you."

Hermione laughed, feeling tears in her eyes, but Daphne's blunt assessment kept them at bay. "Thanks Daphne. You know, for Christmas, he gave me a locket that said 'forever mine'?" She revealed with a smirk.

"What a tosser!" Daphne said annoyed. "When we were dating, Adrian Pucey gave me his grandmother's sapphire earrings, but he'd previously given them to Flora Carrow and then asked for them back when they broke up." She tried to commiserate, before pressing her hands to her cheeks. "Merlin, _that_ made me sound like a spoiled little bitch."

"I don't think you're spoiled, Daphne." Hermione said with a giggle. "Or a bitch."

"Thanks Hermione. Though, I have been known to be quite bitchy, should the mood strike me." Daphne poured the last dregs of wine between their two empty glasses, and Hermione was about to comment about how she never drank this much, but it was just fun, her mind pleasantly buzzing.

When the bill came, the two girls happily split the check. Hermione was surprised by just how pleasant her evening had been. It was nearly nine o'clock, and the three hours they spent talking had gone by in a breeze. "Thanks for inviting me along, Daphne. I had a really nice time."

"Surprised, Granger?" The blonde gave her another wicked smirk.

"Yes, actually." Hermione said, feeling sadness that she didn't have more friendships like this during her time at Hogwarts. Perhaps if she'd opened herself up more...no, between her will to succeed in school and keeping Harry Potter alive, she never could have had a friendship like this. "I would love to do it again some time."

"That would be lovely." Daphne said with a pleasant smile on her face, before looking Hermione's crumpled outfit up and down. "And you will have to let me take you shopping sometime. Preferably as soon as possible."

"Oh, I don't know..." Hermione said with a grimace. She hated shopping for clothes. She never knew what would look right on her.

"Really, I insist." Daphne said a little too forcefully. "Honestly, Granger, just because we work for the Ministry doesn't mean we have to dress like factory workers."

Hermione felt her cheeks light up at the assessment of her clothing, but she figured that it was perhaps a more apt assessment than she would have liked. She supposed her clothes did make her look rather frumpy, and did nothing to highlight any of the physical assets that she did have. She certainly would like to look polished and professional, with just a hint of sexiness, like Daphne. Maybe, in her capable hands, Hermione would be able to achieve a similar look.

Parting ways with the Slytherin, Hermione felt a bit of genuine happiness creep into her heart for the first time in weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed. Also, just wanted to give a shout out to **Pwrmom2** \- you review every chapter and have followed me through so many stories!, but since I started replying to reviews via PM, I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate the reviews! And just a huge shout out to all guest reviewers!

Okay, this chapter has got some more Lucius time and you get a little background on wtf is going on with Narcissa. Please let me know what you thought of chapter five, and be on the lookout for chapter six soon!

* * *

 **July, 1999**

Since the meeting that Hermione had attended with Malfoy, and he'd paid her the nicest compliment he ever had, he'd been quite persistent pursuing a more face to face working relationship, rather than terse little notes and memos passed via magic, despite the fact that their desks were feet apart.

At first, it had seemed harmless enough, just extra salutations when they came across each other. But then, he'd started inviting her to lunch, which was odd. What could the two of them possibly have to discuss with each other over lunch together? It was bound to be uncomfortable, especially with Hermione's annoyance at his intent for hiring her.

Monday she'd had a good excuse seeing as she'd already eaten lunch, so she couldn't exactly go again. Tuesday, she'd not been so fortunate. She hastily told Malfoy that she had already accepted an offer to have lunch with Harry Potter.

She'd quickly sent Harry an owl and met him in the Ministry's cafeteria, only to be reminded of how exhausting it was to pretend like nothing was wrong. He'd tried guilting her into moving back into Grimmauld Place, telling her how much they all missed her and how they were rubbish at all kinds of housekeeping duties. Hermione had huffed, and told him sharply that they'd managed all last year without her, so they'd get along fine.

Then, she'd distracted him by asking him about a recent case, and ate her sandwich at record speed before telling him (not so) apologetically that she had a lot of work to get back to.

Wednesday, she'd just flat out refused, but didn't give him a reason. He didn't need to know why she couldn't go to lunch, just that she wouldn't accompany him.

Thursday, he didn't ask, and Hermione had hoped that her message was heard loud and clear. She was never going to become friends with Lucius Malfoy, going out to lunch together and talking about whatever Ministry gossip was hot that week. She could...coexist with him, until she could find herself another job.

On Friday, she received an interdepartmental memo, inviting her to a lunch meeting at one of the swankiest restaurants in Diagon Alley. Hermione had nibbled her lip, thinking that she would really rather not go, especially if it was with such an important person or persons so as to warrant such an impressive lunch.

She definitely wasn't dressed to impress today, having still not found a time to go shopping with Daphne, but she supposed that she didn't really have much choice. It was not really a request that she could deny seeing as it was a work function. And, even though she was looking for a new job, she did not want to get fired for neglecting her job duties, just because she didn't like Lucius Malfoy.

Straightening her desk, Hermione picked up her purse, determined to be as positive as she could about the meeting. It was probably going to be another chance to show her skills off, like the previous one had been. The memo said that she should meet there, the reservation being under Malfoy, so she decided to leave early, to be sure to arrive well on time.

* * *

Hermione hated feeling so underdressed at such a swanky restaurant, but she'd already glamoured her clothes as much as possible without it being obvious, so there was just nothing for it. Still, she immediately felt off balance with her tiny heels and too big shirt when she made her way to the stand that housed the maitre'd.

The rather snooty looking man was wearing full dress robes and was staring down his nose at her. Hermione wanted to shout that she was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sakes! But, instead, she cleared her throat. "Hi, I am part of the Malfoy party." She said, feeling a bit awkward.

The man ran his finger down his little book, before nodding sharply, and leading her into the restaurant. When they arrived at the table, he pulled out the chair, and Hermione sat down without thinking, and before she could blink, the man was out of sight.

Looking up, Hermione realized that she was at a table meant only for two people, which she thought was odd for a work meeting. Eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed, Hermione figured that the maitre'd must have made a mistake in seating her, and she would just have to correct him. As she was sitting there, though, she remembered just who it was she was working with, and was suddenly incensed.

Of course it wasn't actually a work meeting...Malfoy had manipulated her into going to lunch with him. He'd tricked her, and she'd walked right into his trap because she was so worried about keeping a job that she didn't even want! Standing, Hermione decided that she wasn't just going to sit here and give into his little ploy, that great arrogant prat!

Just as she was gathering her purse, though, she heard a voice clearing behind her. "Ah, Miss Granger. How lovely that you were able to make it to our little lunch meeting. I am so glad that I had the presence of mind to show up early. I would hate for you to have been waiting long."

Hermione whirled around to face Malfoy, who was looking quite pleased with himself, naturally. "This isn't a lunch meeting, Mr. Malfoy." She said fiercely.

"Of course it is." Lucius said with a pleasant smile on his face. Hermione thought that he looked rather smug and it just got under her skin. If he thought he could pull one over on her..."You've recently passed your six week probationary period, and this meeting is to see how you are settling into the department."

Hermione snorted. "I fail to see why this had to be conducted over the lunch period. We should reschedule it to take place in your office." It was a bit unseemly, Hermione thought, to be seen having lunch with Lucius Malfoy of all people.

"Well, as your supervisor, I can decide when and where this meeting takes place, and I decided that it was best spent sharing a nice meal between colleges." That smug smirk was back on his face, and Hermione could practically feel the veins in her neck throbbing. "Now please. Sit." He commanded.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, Hermione returned to the seat, and stared pointedly down at the menu. She decided that if she was going to be forced to endure his presence, she could at least get some answers from him about what this little ruse meant for him.

The waiter came over to inquire about what they would like to drink with their meal. Hermione was about to tell him that she was fine with ice water, but Lucius cut in first and ordered them a bottle of wine to share. Hermione bristled. "That's against Ministry policy." She hissed.

"Oh, is it? I didn't read the manual." Lucius said in an off handed way that just served to irritate her even more.

"Yes, drinking while on the job is strictly prohibited." She said, glaring at the glass that had been poured for her.

"Well, I won't tell if you don't." Lucius said with a secretive little smile, like they were somehow sharing in their naughty behavior together. Hermione reluctantly took a small sip of the wine, that she was sure cost more than what she spent on groceries in a month. "I sense that there is some hostility between us, Miss Granger."

Hermione wanted to scream. "Yes, I'd noticed that as well." A significantly larger drink of wine followed _that_ understatement.

"I was hoping we could figure out why that was." Malfoy said, just as calmly.

His calmness was something that had always irritated Hermione. How was it possible that he could sit there just being completely unruffled? That and the fact that he was rather handsome for being such a git. His blue eyes were striking, mesmerizing, really. "You know why, Mr. Malfoy. You and your son have made it perfectly clear that as a _mudblood_ I have a place in society that is _beneath_ you and your concern, so I am completely baffled as to why you care so much about it now."

He at least had the decency to flinch at her use of the slur. "I assure you, Miss Granger, that despite prior actions I do not think that you belong beneath me."

Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot at his words, and in a flash, a picture of herself beneath him was in her mind. "Isn't it why you gave me my job? To show me that a mudblood is nothing better than a secretary to a pureblood like yourself."

"First, I told you that I hired you because you were by and far the most qualified." Lucius said. "Secondly, you have been working with me for weeks, and I think you can agree that you are _not_ my secretary and I have not treated you as my secretary. Finally, my views, while ardent during the first war, have evolved as I grew older and developed a broader world view."

She nibbled her lower lip, and she noticed that he was studying her face intently. She was going to counter, but before she could the waiter returned for their lunch order. Hermione reluctantly ordered an expensive salmon dish, while Malfoy got an even more expensive steak. With his presence gone, Hermione could return to the topic at hand.

"Why would you hire me without interviewing me, then?" She asked, ardently, needing to get answers so that she could relax around him. Of course, his words were pretty, but it was a bit difficult to believe. "If it wasn't...because of who I am."

"The position had been open for months, and I had seen a number of lackluster candidates pass through my office. However, when I received your owl, your cover letter proved to me that you would be the best person for the job. You were...highly qualified." Lucius said, his fingers playing with the edge of his napkin. "Plus, your reputation as hard worker precedes you."

Hermione sat silently for a moment, contemplating his words. She supposed it was true that he hadn't even tried to make her do anything even sort of secretarial once, and had only given her praise for her hard work. It was just so very unusual to receive any kind of compliment from Lucius Malfoy.

"If I may counter, Miss Granger, why would accept a job that you didn't interview for? Since this seems to be the sticking point in our little disagreement." He gave her, what seemed to be, a genuine smile. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat by just how handsome he seemed. Was it possible she was attracted to Lucius Malfoy?

Shaking her head, Hermione considered her answer. Why had she accepted the job without interviewing? It was purely because she wanted to keep her mind off of Ronald, but she couldn't very well tell _Malfoy_ that. It was pathetic. "I was keen to get out of the shadow of my friends." She said, staring down at her place setting. That was only a half lie. "Harry and Ron might be content to rely on their public face, but that wasn't I wanted. I am done chasing dark wizards."

"An admirable ambition, Miss Granger. One that I would have expected of you. You would never be content to just rest on your laurels." Malfoy said, in such an indulgent tone. Hermione was wondering how he knew so much about her and her personality.

Before she could ask him, their food arrived, and Hermione had to admit that it looked more than delicious. She tucked in, unable to contain the moan at the flavor of the food, only to blush seeing Malfoy smiled at her. "I am glad you like the food. This is one of my favorite restaurants."

Hermione wanted to snark about how she didn't understand why he would want her to enjoy his favorite restaurant...it wasn't as if they were going to begin going to lunches together all of the time. But, at the last moment, she held back. Maybe she should give Malfoy another chance. He'd been completely above board and complimentary with her...except manipulating her into coming to lunch with him.

Maybe, she should just give it a shot, be nice to him instead of trying to be as hostile as possible. They were working together, surely it would be better if they were getting along. Malfoy had certainly tried.

"Why did you get a job at the Ministry?" Hermione asked, wincing at how accusatory her voice sounded. "I just mean, surely you don't need the money."

Lucius was quiet for a while, before looking at her thoughtfully. "I wanted to do something to get out of the house, and it was something that I excelled and enjoyed. If I make some money while I am at it, well, it's just a bonus."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "Why would you want to get out of the house?" She asked. "I've been to your house, and while my stay was anything but pleasant, your house was obviously nice." She unconsciously rubbed her hand over her scar that Bellatrix had given her.

Malfoy winced, obviously remembering how she'd been tortured in his home, but shook his head, keen to move on from _that_ topic of conversation, which was sure to just upset them both. "It's Narcissa." He said, sullenly. "At one point, we were friends, but any affection or friendship that we had was smothered by the war. It is...suffocating to be at the Manor with her for any extended period."

She instantly felt bad, bringing up such an obviously delicate topic of conversation with him at lunch, but also feeling oddly grateful that he would share it with her. Frowning, she reached out and grabbed his hand across the table. She was as surprised at how warm his hand was as he was surprised that she'd touched him. "I'm sorry. Did you love her?" The war had destroyed so many relationships.

"No, when we were first betrothed, we had some affection for one another and it quickly grew into a fast friendship." Lucius replied, pushing his food around on the plate. "And even after Draco was born, we were still close. But once the Dark Lo-Voldemort came back, everything good in my life was destroyed. I was happy when he was gone, and he sucked out all of the happiness."

Hermione was surprised to hear him say this, perhaps expecting that he was only acting a certain way because he was on the losing side. She didn't say anything. "So, Narcissa and I are effectively separated. We live completely separate lives. We both remind the other of the worst time of our lives."

She was surprised by how apt the assessment was, and she was surprised by how sad she was. Perhaps he would know how she felt better than anyone else. Eager to get the topic on happier topics, she asked him about how negotiations were going with the Italians.

He was as eager as she was to change the subject and he told her all the ins and outs of the deals. The meeting that she was a part of had only been a small part of it. He was happy to share her little tips and tricks for negotiating, soaking them all up eagerly. Before long, their meal was finished and Malfoy paid the bill before she could look at it.

She wanted to be annoyed, but she supposed that he had tricked her into coming to lunch with him, so she didn't say anything. She figured it was a fair payment.

When they were done, they walked back to the Ministry together.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who favorited/followed/reviewed after last chapter! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour), where I post sneak peaks and story updates every now and again. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well, because things are starting to heat up! Please let me know what you thought of chapter six and be on the lookout for chapter seven soon!

* * *

 **July 31, 1999**

The Ministry's Atrium had been transformed from the normal drab gray to a gold and red monstrosity for the first annual Harry Potter Day. Hermione hadn't wanted to go to the party, knowing that it would be the first time she'd see Harry, Ron and Ginny (oh, and _fucking Romilda)_ together since her graduation party.

She hadn't wanted to go, and yet, she'd shown up so as not to rock the boat. The thought of what the press would write about her if she'd ignored her own _best friend's_ birthday party was too exhausting to consider skipping. Not for the first time, Hermione wondered if she was just a pushover.

Hermione had been surprised by how well she was getting along without the three of her friends. She had lunch with Daphne at least once a week and she was slowly getting to know the rest of the people in her department. Mrs. Higgs was a delightful woman, actually grandmother to her former classmate Terence Higgs, who got a job so she wouldn't feel so useless at home. David Merryweather was another analyst in his sixties that Hermione loved to debate with.

Hell, her working relationship with Malfoy had even transformed into something pleasant after they'd cleared the air. The odd pair hadn't gone to lunch again, but he did take time out of his day to talk to her for at least a few minutes. The only problem with that was that Hermione was realizing just how physically attracted she was to the blond man.

It seemed a crime to upset the delicate balance that her life was currently in, but it was just one more expected sacrifice that she made for her friends. She'd resisted wearing a red dress like she was expected to as a good Gryffindor girl, one third of the so called Golden Trio, instead choosing a jade green ballroom gown.

She had hoped that she would be able to free herself from her friends and mingle with some of her other friends, wanting to reconnect with Neville and Hannah, after her obligatory dance with Harry that was likely more for the cameras than for Harry's desire to dance with her.

Unfortunately, finally faced with her friends for the first time, it seemed they were unwilling to let her get far from them, to Hermione's chagrin. "Are you sure you don't want to move back into Grimmauld Place, Hermione? I worry about you living all alone in your flat." Ginny said, for the one hundredth time. Merlin, she was becoming more and more of a nag everyday, just like Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm fine living alone." Hermione said tersely. "I am not some wilting flower who can't take care of herself. I fought in a war for Nimue's sake." She flinched at hearing how short her tone was, but she wished that they would just leave it alone. Being on her own was nice, having been surrounded by her peers the last eight years. Forcing herself to smile so that she didn't seem like a total bitch, she tried to joke. "You will just have to start getting your potions from the apothecary now."

Ron snorted at that. "Yeah, I've been there for hangover potion so much they know who I am now." He said it without a hint of embarrassment, his arm still slung over Romilda's shoulder.

Before she could stop herself, Hermione couldn't resist getting in one jab. "Well, we all know Romilda can't make your potions." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile. "The last time you had one of her potions you almost died Ron."

Romilda at least had the decency to blush, but Ron just looked annoyed, remembering that Romilda had tried to give Harry amortentia. "Merlin, haven't you gotten over that yet, Hermione? Romilda is my girlfriend and I am sorry you misread the situation."

"Yeah, that was rude." Harry agreed, to Hermione's surprise. Sure, it was probably rude to bring up, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. She felt silly, letting Harry's opinion get to her. "I really think you've been overreacting about all of this. I just can't understand how you are still mad about this." He said, his green eyes boring into hers.

Hermione felt her eyes flicker closed and she took a deep breath to calm the rage that was building up inside of her. Opening her eyes, she plastered a smile on her face. "If you'll excuse me, I need another drink." Seeing that Ginny was about to say something about her full glass of champagne, Hermione downed the rest of the liquid, and twirled on her heel to walk away. Their protests had fallen on deaf ears.

She wandered around the hall, just trying to avoid being cornered by her terrible friends again. Briefly, she wished that Daphne was here so that they could snark about the cut of other witches' dresses, but she wasn't there.

Deciding that the only way to get through the night was to get incredibly drunk, Hermione grabbed a champagne flute off of one of the floating trays that served the patrons. Deciding that she was going to need more than a couple of glasses, though, she followed one of the empty trays back to a little storage room where house elves were filling glass after glass.

They didn't pay her any mind when she waltzed in and took one of the open bottles from the side table, walking out without saying a word. This she could work with.

There were dozens of charmed balconies that were enchanted to look like the outdoors even though the Ministry was firmly underground. It didn't take long for Hermione to find an empty one. Sighing, Hermione took to the little bench, taking a long drink from the bottle, cursing softly when the liquid fizzed up the neck of the bottle, covering her hand and feet in sticky sweet.

"Miss Granger?" She heard a quiet voice from the entrance to the balcony. She took a deep breath, not really in the mood for company. Still she turned around, slightly surprised to be met with the blue eyes of Lucius Malfoy.

"Malfoy." She greeted with the barest amount of politeness she could muster. He was her boss after all.

"What are you doing sitting out here all on your own?" He asked, closing the door behind him, walking over towards the bench and sitting beside her.

"I'm trying to get drunk." Hermione snapped at him, a bit horrified by the acrid tone that she had. She didn't want to be bitter about Ron or her friends, but she couldn't help it. She _was_ bitter.

"And just why would you want that?" Malfoy said, before taking the bottle from her hands and taking a drag from it himself.

Hermione found herself momentarily entranced by the sight of his full lower lip on the bottle's edge, and realized she was staring. Swallowing thickly, she looked down in her lap. "I am avoiding my _friends_." She said, already feeling the buzz of the alcohol in her veins. "I lied when I told you that I just took the job because I wanted to do more with my life than be an auror."

He handed the bottle back to her, watching her intently when she took her own pull from the bottle, eyes raking back and forth over her face. "Did you now? And I assume that the real reason has something to do with your friends?"

She nibbled her lower lip, thinking about telling him everything. She supposed that it wouldn't hurt. "Yes. Ronald and I were dating all last year, and he knew it. At my graduation party, he introduced me to his girlfriend, Romilda Vane. He'd been cheating on me for who knows how long, and what's worse is that Harry and Ginny knew about it, and tried to tell me that I was overreacting."

Lucius shook his head, perhaps annoyed on her behalf. "You always learn who your real friends are when times get tough." Hermione thought about how Ron had left them when they were looking for horcruxes. "What does that have to do with the job?"

"When I found out, I moved out of Grimmauld Place immediately, and then I decided to apply for a job so that I would have something to focus on besides Ron Weasley's smug face. Plus, it's been a convenient way to get out of social obligations with them." She told him truthfully. "They keep asking me to move back, and to stop holding a grudge. I am pretty sure that they just want me there to take care of household tasks for them. Like brewing hangover potions."

She felt the tear slip down her cheek too late, but Malfoy was quicker, his head outstretched, wiping the tear from her soft cheek. She gasped at the tender gesture from a man who she had always considered so cruel and stoic. "I am sorry, Miss Granger. That is something that no one should have to experience."

"Hermione." She said quietly. His calling her Miss Granger just made her feel like a student again.

He gave her a smile. "Lucius." He pulled his hand away from her face. "However, I must insist that you do not base your self worth on a _Weasley_. You are a beautiful, intelligent young woman and you will have other, better suitors."

Hermione snorted at his prejudice for the redheaded family, which had been obvious since her first year. She briefly wondered what sleight had occurred to cause such a legendary feud. His words did make her feel better. She needed to stop being so hung up on Ron. They weren't likely to have worked well together anyway.

They continued to pass the champagne bottle back and forth between the two of them, Lucius keeping her mind distracted by discussing something funny one of the other Department Heads had done in their recent meeting with the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt. Before she knew it, the bottle was empty.

Lucius suddenly smiled fondly, hearing a bit of music bleeding out onto the balcony. "This is a favorite song of mine." He said quietly, seeming uncharacteristically nervous. "Would you care to dance with me?"

Hermione was a bit flattered, amused even, that he was nervous that she would somehow reject him. He'd been such a lovely partner to her all night, and she'd had much more fun than she would have expected, than she'd planned on having. "What, just out here on the balcony?" She asked, a smirk on her face.

"Well, if you'd rather dance in the other room in front of your friends, I could arrange that as well." He teased, good-naturedly, seeming to relax that she hadn't dismissed his request outright. He stood and offered her his hand.

She grasped his hand, impressed by how much larger it was than her own. "I would be delighted, Lucius." She said, surprised by the truthfulness of her statement. "Though, I'd prefer it if we stayed out here."

He helped her stand, and suddenly Hermione's head was spinning from the sudden rush of alcohol to her brain. Merlin, she'd managed to get drunker than she'd imagined. Unsteady on uncharacteristically tall heels, she swayed, unable to balance until she was pressed against his firm chest.

She blushed, but he didn't say anything, instead, wrapping on hand around her waist and holding her still grasped hand out to the side. Once she was feeling stable, he began to move them in purposeful strides, and Hermione was unsurprised to learn that he was a really remarkable dancer.

Being in his arms made her feel safe and sure, like he knew exactly what to do and wouldn't lead her astray. It was easy to relax and let him lead her through intricate moves. With her head pressed to his chest, she could feel him humming along to the music, a pleasant rumble against her ear.

Briefly she wondered what kind of madness it was that she was out on a balcony, drunk and dancing with Lucius Malfoy, but after the past weeks, it didn't feel odd to her at all. Though, she would pay galleons to see Draco Malfoy's reaction to the situation. She couldn't imagine he'd be thrilled about his father being chummy with a mudblood.

The song ended, but Lucius held on tight, changing steps with the different kind of song that was played. He sometimes twirled or dipped her, to Hermione's great amusement. She was giggling with every spin, the world reduced to blurry lights and Lucius Malfoy. She wasn't sure how long they continued in this little dance, but she didn't care. She was having fun.

When a slow song came on, he looked at her seriously, before pulling her against him again. They swayed against one another, Hermione's eyes drooping shut to the steady sound of his heart beat. It seemed that they worked well together, always staying in unison and never stepping on the other's toes.

Wordlessly, Lucius used his hand to grasp her chin, encouraging her to look up to him. She gasped at the depth of emotion in his normally steely gaze, and she noticed that he was staring hard at her lips. Her heart stuttered, wondering if he'd...

He dipped his head, his lips meeting hers in a featherlight touch. Hermione felt her eyes drift shut, and then she was sighing, pressing herself firmly against him. He was hot, scalding even, as he trapped her lower lip between his, lips moving against hers in varying pressure making her feel like she was falling, but she liked it. She knew that Lucius would be there to catch her.

Feeling his tongue questing for her to open herself to him, though, was a shock to her system. Hermione's eyes flew open and she pulled herself away from him. How could she be kissing Lucius _Malfoy?_ He was her boss and...it was just wrong.

She removed herself from his grasp, almost falling over from the sudden movement, but keeping her steady stance. Biting her lip, she turned and fled the private little balcony, worry and confusion in her heart. She heard him call after her once, but he didn't try to follow her to the public floos.

Hermione didn't care if anyone saw her running. She just needed to get back to her house so she could be alone with her thoughts. How was it that she'd been so reckless?


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who favorited/followed and reviewed after last chapter! FFNet is doing that thing where it doesn't let me respond to reviews, so if I didn't get to you, I apologize! I was able to read them all, so thank you so much for the support. This chapter includes your favorite blonde...Daphne! Haha, I know your favorite is really Lucius :)

Please let me know what you thought of chapter seven and be on the lookout for chapter eight soon!

* * *

 **August, 1999**

The morning after Harry's birthday party at the Ministry, Hermione woke up in her own bed, her head pounding and her mouth fuzzy. She always wondered why champagne hangovers seemed the worst, as she pulled herself up from bed to head to the bathroom. Once she'd grabbed herself a rarely need hangover potion, she returned to her bed, waiting for the headache to recede.

The only problem was that the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach wouldn't leave her, and she knew it was it wasn't caused by her over drinking the night before. No, this issue had a completely different name: Lucius.

Putting her face in her hands, Hermione let herself feel completely overwhelmed by the situation. She can't believe that she'd kissed Lucius Malfoy, and that she'd liked it so much. She'd been so upset by her friends and then Lucius had swept in like some kind of Prince Charming. He'd made her feel so much better about herself, about what had happened with Ron.

She'd been so impressed by his dancing, and he'd been completely polite about it, twirling her around the empty balcony, making her feel like a princess, making her life, keeping her mind completely off her friends.

Then, he'd kissed her. And it had been perfect.

Until she remembered just who it was out on the balcony. It was Lucius Malfoy, a man who wanted to eradicate her kind for many years, who was a former Death Eater, who should be in Azkaban currently. He wasn't a nice man, and he'd shown her once before that he was willing to manipulate her to get what he wanted. And just what did he want, kissing her like that?

And, a better question, why the fuck would she kiss him back. She remembered how she'd melted into his body, wanting to feel him pressed firmly against her. Why would she kiss Lucius Malfoy of all people? And why would she like it so much? Even now, the memory

Biting her lower lip, she wondered if it was just because she was trying to get over Ron. Surely, the first man that she kissed after the break up with Ronald would seem special to her, wouldn't they? And that wasn't a very good reason to kiss someone...just because she'd been upset over another boy, and some man gave her a little bit of attention.

Groaning, Hermione realized that it didn't even begin to cover the ethical component. Lucius was her boss, she couldn't be in a sexual relationship with him...no matter how kissable his lips were. She remembered when Pansy Parkinson had started a rumor that she'd only managed her Charms OWL because she'd given Professor Flitwick a little "extra credit." She'd never been so mortified in her life, but was mostly outraged because she worked hard to get where she was, and she didn't want her accomplishments tainted by rumors of sexual favors.

And that didn't even cover the fact that he was married. Well, separated, yes, but married.

She could admit to herself, that while she was much more attracted to Lucius than she ever would have imagined, she couldn't allow herself to be pulled into some kind of relationship with him. It wasn't right, and it couldn't happen again.

Feeling a little bit better with herself, she decided to try out the new patisserie down the street from her flat.

* * *

Avoiding Lucius was much more difficult than Hermione had anticipated, the week after the kiss, especially after they'd developed a better working relationship. Every time Hermione caught a glimpse of that pale hair, her mind was swept back into the night on the balcony.

She couldn't avoid him in the morning, but she always made sure she was having a long chat with Lucian Bole, the lawyer, or Mrs. Higgs, whenever Malfoy showed up at the office, so he couldn't talk to her alone. Because he _clearly_ wanted to talk to her alone. She always left the office before he could leave for the day, so that they didn't have to walk alone to the lifts together.

In fact, she'd taken to running off towards the lavatories whenever he walked about in his office, just in case he would walk by his desk. She'd forced all of their correspondence into writing, and she'd nearly broken down one day and joined Harry and Ron for lunch.

It was exhausting.

Today, however, a loud commotion from Daphne caught her attention around lunch time. "Oh piss off Bole! If you touch me one more time, I swear I will file a complaint." Daphne was clearly enraged.

"Nice try Greengrass. I'd quash your little complaint before it could go before the board. Don't threaten me with the law." Lucian Bole, former Slytherin Beater shouted back with just as much vehemence.

"Just leave me alone." Daphne said firmly, before walking to Hermione's desk, just as she was sending an interdepartmental memo to Malfoy.

"Is everything alright, Daphne?" Hermione asked, a bit concerned for her new friend. She knew that the blonde, as were quite a few women in the Ministry actually, dealt with sexual harassment. It infuriated Hermione that her friend would be subjected to such a thing.

"Yes, I can handle Bole." She said, loud enough for the lawyer to hear, if his annoyed huff was any indication. "Did you just send Mr. Malfoy an interdepartmental memo?" She asked, clearly confused.

"Um, yes." Hermione responded, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Why?" Daphne countered. "You sit like thirty feet from one another."

"No reason." Hermione said, trying to sound as off handed as possible. "So, are we going to lunch or what?" She asked, quickly gathering her purse, before leading the way out of the department, to the little sushi shop that they had decided on.

Hoping to deflect the conversation from herself, Hermione asked Daphne a question first. "So, is everything okay with you and Bole?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Yes, it's nothing I can't handle...just the same old bullshit as always." She frowned, shaking her head before looking over the menu. "But don't try to change the subject, I am much more Slytherin than you. You have been acting oddly all week."

Hermione blushed, annoyed that her behavior had been so noticeable. She briefly thought about opening up to Daphne, to let her know about what had happened with Lucius, but she changed her mind. They'd barely been friends over a month, and she didn't want to give the girl anything to hold over her, in case the friendship was just one of convenience. "I just...well, I went to the party on Saturday, and it was the first time I've seen all of my friends together since my graduation party."

The blonde could barely contain her glare at Hermione. "I really wish you'd stop calling them your friends. Let me guess, it went worse than expected." She wrote down her order on the menu and the waitress came by to take their selections.

"Right in one guess." Hermione said darkly, remembering how terrible it had been. "They just expect me to drop everything that I'm doing and move back in with them. The worst of it is that it's not even for my companionship, it's just so I can do little household tasks for them. Like brew potions."

"I thought Potter was decent at potions. He sure impressed Slughorn." Daphne put some wasabi in her soy sauce, mixing it around until it became a thin paste.

Hermione made a negative noise. "No, he got a book from the storage room. Turned out it belonged to Professor Snape, and had all of his notes in it. He's a decent brewer if he sets his mind to it."

"I knew that he couldn't be that good." Daphne said with a smirk, smiling when their food arrived.

"I don't know..." Hermione said, picking up her chopsticks. "I _don't_ want to get back together with Ronald, but seeing the four of them together, just kind of showed me how easily I don't fit into their lives. And how much I wouldn't hate to have a boyfriend of my own." Hermione wanted to be romanced in the way that Ron had never even tried to. Flowers, chocolates, jewelry, expensive dinners out. She knew it was a little bit shallow, but she deserved romance at least once in her life, didn't she?

"He brought Vane?" Daphne asked, incredulously. "And expected you to just act like nothing was wrong?"

"Yeah. They all told me I was overreacting and couldn't let things go." Hermione said, before her own smirk grew over her face. "Though I did get in one really good jibe about when Romilda almost killed Ron with some amortentia she'd brewed for Harry."

Daphne laughed out loud at that. "Priceless. I would have loved to see her face." She said a bit maliciously, but it felt good to indulge in a little spite with Daphne. "Well, to me it seems pretty clear what you need to do."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Hermione asked between bites.

"Get revenge. Show them how much you don't need them back." Daphne said with a grin. "And I know just the way. You should date a totally hot guy who they wouldn't approve of at all."

Hermione flushed, her mind automatically thinking about Lucius. He was...extremely attractive, with his strong jaw and stormy eyes. And, she knew that her friends would _never_ approve of her dating him. Shaking her head, she remembered that she was not meant to be thinking about Lucius in any sexual capacity. He was her boss. He was married. He was off limits. "I don't know, Daphne. That doesn't really sound like something that I could do. It's not like I have totally hot guys lining up at my door."

"Well, that's because you're intimidating." Daphne said, noticing Hermione's surprised face. "What? You are! It's not like it's a bad thing. I have an idea...one of Theo's friends recently moved back to London. We should go on a double date!"

The former Gryffindor thought that her lunch mate seemed entirely too excited about the prospect. "I don't know Daphne. I've only ever dated two guys." She said with a blush. It was hard to tell the beautiful girl about the abysmal state of her love life.

"So? It will be so much fun! Come on, I insist!" Daphne said with a smile that showed she knew that she was winning.

Hermione scowled. "Are you just going to bully me until I give into what you want?" Seeing Daphne's shark like grin, she knew it was true. "And people think that I am bossy. Fine, I will agree to one double date."

"Excellent! This means that I can finally take you shopping." Daphne said with a grin. "If you wear that raspberry atrocity to work one more time before getting it tailored, I am going to burn it."

"Well, I have been meaning to expand my wardrobe." Hermione said, flushed. She knew that she wasn't the most fashionable witch, but she hoped with a little guidance she could look more polished and less frumpy. "And I kind of want really high heels." She admitted, knowing that it was probably a bit more girly of a statement than you'd expect of Hermione Granger.

"Now you are speaking my language!" Daphne said, rubbing her hands together.

"You have to tell me about the guy though." Hermione added, suddenly nervous about who Daphne was trying to set her up with. She knew that he wouldn't be completely horrible, but she didn't want someone who would be rude to her, or was prejudiced about muggleborns.

"Nope, it's going to be a blind date." Daphne said wrinkling her nose. "I've already told you too much." She said, pulling out some sickles to settle her bill, while Hermione did the same.

"Do I at least know him?" She asked, biting her lower lip.

"Well...you don't know him, but you definitely know _of_ him." Daphne said, standing from the table. Hermione could sense she wasn't going to get any more details about the date at that point. They began walking back to the Ministry. "Hey, you never told me why you were sending a memo to Mr. Malfoy." Daphne suddenly remembered what they were doing before Hermione distracted her with lunch.

"Oh, he was just in a meeting, so I didn't want to disturb him." Hermione said, trying not to seem nervous. If Daphne knew that she was avoiding her boss, the blonde didn't make it known.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed or reviewed after last chapter! I can't believe we've surpassed 100 reviews, so thank you for your support! This chapter has a bit more unpleasantness with Harry, Ron and Ginny, but I promise Harry will realize he's being an idiot.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eight, and be on the lookout for chapter nine soon!

* * *

 **August, 1999**

It was only a matter of time before Hermione would have to face the music and well, face the Lucius. She knew that she couldn't avoid him forever, though she'd done a rather good job of it for two weeks. Still, she knew that it was impossible to avoid him, as he was quite persistent.

One day, Hermione got so caught up in her work, trying to finalize the Italian trade deal, as Lucian Bole had identified numerous potential issues with the wording. It was a lot of back and forth and a lot of tedious reading, and before she knew it the whole day had passed, and it was nearing seven o'clock.

Alerted to the sudden silence, Hermione looked up and realized that she was the only person in the office. Except...the light from under the door of Lucius's office indicated that he was still in the office as well. Her heart beat quicker, and she gathered her items so she could go home for the evening, undetected.

To her dismay the opening of the door caught her attention, letting her know that her presence had been noted. He probably hadn't even realized that she was still there until she'd made all that noise trying to leave! Flushed, Hermione turned to face him, chin jutted out, trying to appear strong.

"Hermione. We need to talk." He said, his voice silky and caressing, instantly making Hermione's head spin. Oh, she remembered _exactly_ what his lips had felt like on hers.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Lucius." She said, bravely. "I think it's best if we pretend like...like it never even happened." Wincing at how she sounded like a scared first year, unable to even say the word kiss, she broke eye contact with him.

"I am afraid that's not possible." Lucius said, taking a step closer to her, so there was barely any space between her. Her breath caught in her throat. Was he seducing her? "At the Ministry party, I...misread the situation." He settled on diplomatically.

"You most definitely did." Hermione responded tritely, though she wasn't so sure she wouldn't like a repeat performance.

He gave a little huff, as if he were annoyed. "While I did misread the situation, I am not sorry for my actions. And I won't apologize for them." He said with some finality.

Hermione was surprised, that he was so vehement about it, and her heart was beating so wildly against her chest, she was sure he must be able to hear it. For a brief moment, his blue eyes flickered down to her lips and she was certain that he was going to kiss her again.

Until he pulled back. Hermione was grappling with the wild disappointment she felt. "So, you can stop avoiding me now, before anyone else notices." He gave her a smug look. "And, should you ever change your mind about the _kiss_ and would like a drink, I've been known to spend evenings at The Bottle and Glass in Knockturn Alley."

With that, he spun away from her, returning to his office, the door shut behind him. Once she was safely alone, Hermione pressed a hand against her heart, feeling completely off kilter. Nibbling her lower lip, she thought about running to the bar right away, but the other more rational side of her brain told her to leave well enough alone.

She'd decided to leave Lucius alone and she was going to follow that through.

* * *

The last person Hermione expected to see waiting for her outside the building of her flat was Ginny Weasley. When she'd walked home from work, all she wanted to do was snuggle into the couch and read a good book, not talk with Ginny, who she'd been trying to avoid. "Ginny, what are you doing here?" Hermione didn't recall giving any of her friends her new address.

"Hello to you too, Hermione." Ginny said with a snort. "I came by because I wanted to invite you to dinner on Friday!" She said brightly.

Hermione groaned internally. She could write infinite letters of regret, but there was no way she was going to be able to say no to Ginny to her face. Any excuse that she could find, Ginny would see through the lie immediately. She kind of hated herself for feeling the need to explain _anything_ to her friends. "Oh, I don't know, Ginny, I've been really busy lately."

"Exactly! You work too hard, Hermione." Ginny said with an indulgent smiled. "Think of this as a way to unwind."

The brunette thought that a glass of wine and a massage was probably a better way to unwind. "I'm not sure, Ginny. I think I will just be a boring lump."

"Please! You have to come!" The ginger girl insisted. "Harry and I have some news to share with the three of you!" She said with a grin.

"Three? Who all is going to be there?" Hermione asked, eyebrows pressed together in confusion. "Romilda? Please don't ask me to do that Ginny. I tried to hang out with the four of you at Harry's birthday and you saw what a disaster it was."

"You are going to have to move past it, Mione." Ginny whined. Hermione scowled. No she absolutely did not have to move past it and act like everything was just hunky dory. "We haven't seen you since Harry's birthday, and...well, I think you should just stop overreacting about the whole Ron thing."

"I am not overreacting about the Ron thing. I am not sure what hurts more...the fact that Ron was cheating on me for god knows how long, or the fact that you and Harry knew about it and didn't say anything." Hermione snarled, unwilling to cry in front of her. She didn't want Ginny reporting to Ron that Hermione was absolutely heartbroken over him.

Ginny had the decency to look a little bit guilty. "I don't want to get into that right now. Please, Hermione, just for one night?" She was practically begging. "Harry and I have some big news and I know how much it would hurt Harry if you weren't one of the first to know."

Hermione felt a headache forming behind her eyes. "Fine, just one night. But, I am not going out of my way to be nice to Romilda." She said firmly. She could be polite, she could ignore, but she wasn't going to act like things were okay, because they weren't.

Ginny threw her arms around Hermione, squeezing her tightly. "Thank you Hermione, you are the best!" Hermione briefly wondered if she'd just made a terrible mistake agreeing to come to dinner. "We'll see you on Friday, at Grimmauld Place!"

* * *

Despite all of her misgivings, and the fact that she'd already talked herself out of going four times, Hermione found herself standing on the steps of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place. She'd dressed up for the occasion, nothing too fancy, but not the jumper and jeans she was sure that her friends expected her to show up in.

When Harry finally opened the door, she realized that she was the last to arrive...or perhaps the only one who didn't live there. She could imagine that Romilda probably spent a lot of time in Ron's room. Harry pulled her into a hug, that she couldn't return. "Perfect timing, Mione. The food's nearly ready."

He pulled her inside the tiny kitchen, where she was met with the faces of Ginny, Ron and Romilda. Hermione immediately felt like an outsider, and she knew she should have just pretended to be sick and stayed home, but...she didn't want Ron to think that he had any power over her, because he didn't.

It was oddly comforting to know how little his arm slung around Romilda's waist bothered her now. Harry poured her a generous glass of red wine before ushering the four others into the dining room, where he was serving them lasagne. The tension around the table was thick, everyone expecting something to go wrong, so finally Hermione sighed and broke the silence. "So, Harry, Ginny, come on tell us, what's the big news? I've been dying of curiousity."

Harry smiled at her before grabbing Ginny's hand. "Well, I've asked Ginny to marry me, and she's said yes!" Harry said eagerly.

Hermione was happy for him, if anyone deserved a happily ever after it was Harry. She quickly stood from her place, walking around the table and giving her friend a tight hug, before giving the same to Ginny. "Congratulations! It's about time you two!" She said indulgently.

They were glowing in their happiness, it was easy to forget that she was still pissed at them. Ron looked a weird shade of red, as Hermione was sure he was bursting to say something about Harry defiling his baby sister, but he miraculously held it in. "I'm happy for you mate." He finally said, slapping Harry on the back.

Talk of the impending nuptials kept the conversation light and flowing. It was a welcome distraction for Hermione because it gave her something else to focus on. But then, there was only so much that they could talk about before things became stale, and they immediately focused on her.

"How is your job going, Hermione?" Harry asked, wanting to know everything about the job that had kept Hermione so busy.

"Well, it's going well. It's with the International Trading Board. I've been working on a proposal for trade with Bulgaria, and I might even get to go on a trip, which would be lovely. I've been wanting to see Viktor again." Hermione said, a bit breathlessly. Ron snorted to her left, making her glare at him sharply. "Something to say Ronald?"

"How can you even be sure that Krum wants to see you again? It's been like five years Hermione." Ron said, rolling his eyes, sure that a famous quidditch player couldn't want anything to do with his friend. Surely the Triwizard tournament had been a fluke.

"Viktor and I remain friends to this day. We write each other at least once a month, and I've stayed with his family in Bulgaria before." Hermione said vehemently, annoyed that Ron would suggest she would lie about her friendship. She wanted to tell him that she'd even had sex with Viktor, but she didn't want to come off looking like a slag, bragging about the guys she'd been with.

Ron just huffed, obviously not too convinced by her words. "Well, I just don't think you should get your hopes up about dating him. He's got loads of witches throwing themselves at him." Even Romilda seemed uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going.

"I don't _want_ to date Viktor, Ronald. We are just friends." She insisted. "And in any case I'm going on a date next week." She said, feeling a bit excited at the prospect. She couldn't wait to meet the wizard that Daphne selected for her.

But all of those good feelings quickly evaporated when Ron opened his big fat mouth. "Pfft. Who would want to go on a date with you?" He asked. Hermione hoped that he didn't realize how hurtful his words were and he was just clueless, not intentionally cruel.

"I'll have you know that Daphne Greengrass has set me up on a double date!" She responded, hands on her hips. She let the anger wash over her so that she wouldn't start crying. Did the man who'd been her friend for so long really find her so repulsive?

"Greengrass? She's a bloody Slytherin Hermione." Ron retorted.

"Yes, she's a Slytherin, but she's my friend!" Hermione responded, standing from the table. "I work with a lot of Slytherins. Grow up, they aren't all evil. Everything isn't black and white, Ronald!" Hermione let out a frustrated huff, before turning to Harry. "Thank you for the meal, it was delicious, but I should get going. Congratulations." She said, a bit more harshly than she should have.

She knew that she shouldn't have come, everything was still too raw, too fresh. She slammed the door behind her as she went out into the cooler London air. She knew it was a bit petty, but she needed some way to get her anger out.

Hermione knew that she couldn't go back to her flat to be sad and alone and thinking over Ron's words, letting them bring her down and breed insecurities. She knew that people wanted her, wanted to date her. There had been Neville and Viktor and Cormac and Ron. And even Lucius had kissed her.

Lucius.

She remembered his words from the week before about being available for a drink. Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, thinking that this was probably a horrible idea. She should leave well enough alone, especially when she was feeling sad and lonely.

But, she needed to talk to someone right now, and...

Making up her mind, Hermione grasped her wand and apparated to the entrance of Knockturn Alley. The Bottle and Glass wasn't difficult to find, especially considering it was easily the nicest building down the alley.

She paused once more at the doorway, considering what would happen if he wasn't there, before pushing her way inside. If he wasn't there, she would just get a drink and then leave.

In the end, it didn't matter, because she would recognize that white blond hair anywhere. He was sitting at the bar, nursing a whiskey, and hadn't paid any mind to anyone else entering or leaving the bar. She crossed the room in four strides, stopping when she stood next his side.

Only when she spoke his name, a bit breathlessly, did he regard her with surprised blue eyes. "Good evening, Lucius."


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Haha, wow, after last chapter, lemme just tell you...yes, you can all slap Ron! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed! This chapter has the much anticipated shopping excursion in it, so I hope you enjoy! You can follow me on tumblr, where my handle is nauticalparamour. Oh, and you could read my Antonin x Hermione oneshot, posted yesterday, called Black Out Days.

So, please let me know what you thought of chapter nine and be on the lookout for chapter ten soon!

* * *

Hermione had a moment of satisfaction, seeing his blue eyes widen in surprise at actually seeing her standing there next to him, in muggle jeans, heels and black fancy top. She wished that Ron could see her now, seeing the way that Lucius Malfoy wanted her, judging by the way his eyes run up and down her body, appreciatively.

She stopped herself from rolling her eyes, knowing that Ron would likely be disgusted that she let the Slytherin ogle her like that. She knew that there was a significant amount of bad blood between the two families.

Regaining his confidence, Lucius practically purred her name. "Hermione, what an unexpected surprise." He said, sharklike grin on his face. "What would you like to drink?"

Feeling bold, Hermione grabbed his Old Fashioned tumbler from his hand, taking a sniff and then a small sniff. "Laphroaig." She identified the peaty drink easily, surprised that Malfoy would be drinking muggle scotch, but then, she supposed it was one of the more expensive liquors on the menu. "I'd take an Ardbeg if they have it." She said sweetly, slipping into the seat next to him.

Hermione couldn't stop the giggle that left her lips, seeing Lucius's shocked expression. "And just how do you know so much about whiskey?"

She looked down at the bar, a melancholy smile on her face. "My grandfather always said any Granger worth their salt drank scotch." She remembered taking tiny sips from his glass when she was a just a girl, and being disgusted by the taste. How her grandfather would laugh and laugh at her tiny face scrunched up in disgust.

Once her drink was ordered and delivered and in her hand, Lucius considered her presence. He never in a million years thought she would actually show up for a drink with him. He knew then that something must have pushed her to actually show up at his bar. "So, what brings you here this evening?"

Hermione was pleased to note that there was no lingering awkwardness between them, but then she didn't really want to tell him about all of her problems again. "I was just at Harry's for dinner, and I decided I wasn't quite ready to go home yet." She said, trying to sound nonchalant.

If Lucius could tell that she was lying, he didn't make any note of it. "And just what is new with the boy wonder these days?" Lucius asked, knowing that it was just a way to get her talking. Everyone knew that the boy-who-lived and his ginger sidekick were aurors. There was talk of Potter even becoming head auror someday, though for his own sake, Lucius hoped that was several years off.

"Harry and Ginny just got engaged." Hermione said, taking a small pull from her glass, enjoying the feel of the heavy crystal in her hand. She didn't expect such finery at a Knockturn Alley pub. "I imagine that things are going to get incredibly hectic in the coming months."

It was true, Hermione couldn't even imagine what kind of media circus was going to surround herself and her friends in the coming months. It was going to be exhausting, considering the fact that the wizarding media had never been kind to her. "How do you get such favorable coverage by the media?" She asked, genuinely interested.

"I would see its a combination of being rather good looking, and giving them a little bit of what they want." His handsome face was momentarily transformed when he remembered his pot Azkaban days. "But they are quick to turn on you."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said quietly, annoyed with herself for bringing up such a sensitive topic. "I was trying to lighten the mood." She admitted once. "I kept Rita Skeeter in a jar for a month in her animagus form in fourth year." Hermione suddenly blurted out, having never told anyone else what she'd done to get the blonde's negative articles to stop. "Merlin, it felt good to tell someone that."

Lucius's eyebrows had nearly disappeared into his hairline, he was so shocked. "Did you? I must say, I am impressed." He complimented her. It was one of the most vicious things that she'd done to another human, but she didn't regret it.

That broke the bit of unease that had settled over the pair and they easily settled into a lighter conversation topic. By the time Hermione had finished her second glass of scotch, she was feeling pleasantly fuzzy. "I should get home now." She said with a regretful tone of voice. "It's quite late."

"Allow me to walk you home." Lucius offered, not wanting his time with the vivacious girl to end. He was entranced, watching her brown eyes light up every time she smiled.

"It's okay, I'm not far." Hermione said, not wanting to impose on the older man.

"Nonsense. I insist." Lucius said, already standing, laying down enough galleons to pay for both of their drinks. "Knockturn Alley is no place for such a beautiful girl so late at night." Hermione blushed, but happily took his arm, as she led them from the bar, through the narrow winding streets to her building.

It was Hermione's turn to wish the night wasn't over. "Would you like to come up? I have some brandy." She said, hesitantly. She knew that she was playing with fire, but she couldn't stop. She couldn't believe that she'd asked Lucius up to her flat. Was it even clean?

Before she had any more time to panic, Lucius was agreeing and they were walking up the narrow staircase together, Lucius looking completely out of place in such standard living arrangements. She opened the door to her flat, proud that she didn't fumble with the keys, and watched as he strode in, confident.

Hermione blushed, realizing the truth of what was happening right now. How had her night devolved into this? "I know it's not much, but it suits me." She said with a soft smile. She wondered if she could be embarrassed with the piles of books that covered most of the available surfaces. "Please, have a seat, I'll just get us a drink."

When she returned, a bit of brandy in each crystal glass, Lucius was sitting rigidly on her couch, but gladly accepted the glass. "Your home is lovely. It's very you." He told her, sincerely.

She smiled, sitting next to him, and took a small drink. Suddenly, the easy rapport that they had had at the bar was nowhere to be found, and she suspected it was because they both knew what was coming next, what they wanted to happen next.

Finishing her drink in record time, she set the empty glass on the coffee table, and watched as Lucius did the same thing. Her eyes were trained on his lips, and she felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Oh, she really wanted to kiss him, but in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn't a wise decision.

Lucius took the decision for her, taking his hand and tangling it into her hair, pulling her face towards his, until their lips were pressed together fiercely. Hermione moaned, instantly opening her lips to his wanting to taste him. She eagerly caressed her tongue against his in a lazy dance that spoke of simmering passion beneath the surface.

With her back pressed against the couch, she was completely surrounded by Lucius Malfoy, from his hair to his scent to his firm body. She ghosted her fingertips across his jaw, feeling the beginning of stumble, and sighed into him. Hermione thought that she could spend every waking moment like this. Each stroke of his tongue sent a pulse of desire between her legs, desperate for more.

They continued together for longer than she should have, before finally, she was pulling back from his lips and looking away, lips bruised and cheeks flushed. Lucius cleared his throat first. "It's quite late, I should take my leave."

Hermione nodded stupidly, half of her wanting to invite him into her bed and the other half knowing that she needed to stop while she was ahead. "Yes, I have to get up quite early tomorrow, myself." Hermione told him, remembering her plans with Daphne. "I had a very nice time tonight." She said walking him to her door.

"As did I. I am so glad that you took me up on my offer." Lucius replied, not wanting to leave the apartment. "Goodnight, Hermione." He said, finally, pressing one last lingering kiss to her lips.

Shutting the door behind him, Hermione pressed her hand to her heart and let her head fall to the wood of the door.

* * *

Hermione met Daphne bright and early to do a bit of shopping for work, but also to help Hermione find a nice dress for her upcoming double date with Daphne's boyfriend's friend. It was nice to spend some time with the Slytherin outside of work, and she clearly had a keen eye for fashion.

Seeing Hermione hold up a pale yellow sundress, Daphne nearly smacked the cotton fabric from her hand. "Granger. Please tell me you weren't thinking about wearing that atrocious dress to your date?" She asked, eyes flashing. "That color of yellow makes you look like you are going to spew, and you are going for sexy, not sweet."

Hermione blushed in a way that clearly broadcast she was absolutely thinking of wearing that dress to her date. Hermione picked a tight, navy blue wrap dress. "What about this?"

Daphne cocked her head to the side, looking at the dress Hermione was holding against her side. "Go try it on." The blonde had her own dress to try on in the dressing room next to Hermione's. "I have to find the best dress for Astoria's engagement party."

Astoria, Daphne's little sister, had recently become engaged to Draco Malfoy. "Oh? Have they set a date yet?" Hermione asked politely, even though she didn't particularly find Astoria's nuptials interesting.

"Yes, they are getting married in the spring, once she graduates Hogwarts." Daphne said. "She's been so insufferable since he asked, I thought about turning down her request that I be maid of honor. And my parents are over the moon. At least they have one _perfect_ daughter to make up for my mistakes."

Although Hermione felt really badly for Daphne, it was nice to know the girl that sometimes seemed so perfect had her own issues that she was bitter about. It was good to have someone to commiserate with. Still, Hermione wasn't really sure what to say to comfort her. They were becoming better friends, but they weren't that close yet. "Ready?" Hermione asked, before stepping out of the dressing room.

Daphne looked amazing in her little black dress, but she had a discerning eye. "You _have_ to get that dress, but for work, not for your date." Daphne said in a smile. "It's just a bit too conservative for Wa- your date's tastes." She smirked.

"Can't you just tell me who it is?" Hermione whined. "How am I supposed to know how to dress if I don't even know who it is?" She nibbled her lower lip. "Is he cute?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. "He's very good looking, and he has the most amazing blue eyes. But that's all I am going to tell you about him. You will just have to wait. Now, let me go find you another dress."

Hermione went back into dressing room to wait, looking at herself in the mirror. She couldn't imagine picking out the navy dress for work, but it did make her look powerful and confident. It made her feel sexy and she decided to head Daphne's advice and get it.

While she was taking it off, Daphne hung a green dress over the door. Hermione gasped at the shiny fabric, holding it up against her body. "Daphne, I can't wear this!" The dress was strapless and very short.

"Just try it on." Daphne said through the door, and Hermione could practically hear her smirk.

Biting her lip, she decided to give it a shot, as she'd promised herself she was going to start pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Once the dress was on her body, she nearly gasped seeing herself in the mirror.

Opening the door, she was eager to show it off to Daphne. "You look so hot." Her friend said, eyes wide. "Please, Hermione, you _have_ to wear that."

Hermione smiled, glad to know that the girl she saw in the mirror was her. It was really flattering, and even the color brought out the vibrant shade of her hair. "Oh alright...if you think my date will like it?"

"Like it? His eyes are going to pop out of his head!" Daphne countered with a laugh. "Now, go change out of it so that we can get you some proper heels and lingerie.

"Lingerie? I don't think I need all of that." Hermione said, blush on her cheeks.

"Well, you at least need a strapless bra to go with that." Daphne said, pulling on the exposed strap of Hermione's bra, snapping her skin when she let it go.

Hermione conceded that and proceeded to change back into her clothes so that Daphne could drag her to the next shop. She followed Daphne from store to store and spent way more than she'd ever done before on clothes, _tall_ high heels, and of course, bras and knickers, but she'd also enjoyed herself more than she thought was possible, glad to have a friend like Daphne.

* * *

When Hermione returned from her shopping excursion, carrying more bags than she ever thought possible, she just wanted to run a bubble bath, and do a bit of reading before bed. Setting down the multitude of clothes she'd purchased, she was surprised to see something unexpected on her kitchen table.

Walking into the other room, she gasped, coming face to face with the most beautiful arrangement of flowers. Reaching out, she touched one of the velvety petals, looking for a card. Inside, she found one from Lucius, thanking her for the lovely evening. It was such a thoughtful gesture, and so romantic...her heart beat a bit faster that he'd thought of her.

But at the same time, it made her nervous. It was clear that she and Lucius were attracted to each other, but...just what did he want from her?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed after last chapter! Y'all are too sweet! Here is the highly anticipated blind date...no one guessed correctly, but I will admit that this character is kind of obscure, so I would have been surprised! You can follow me on tumblr, where my handle is nauticalparamour. So, I have been trying to respond to reviews, but ffnet is acting up again, so very sorry if I've missed you. Also, Ron is awful in this, but he will not be getting much screen time after this chapter, I promise!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten, and be on the lookout for chapter eleven soon!

* * *

 **September, 1999**

When the day of Hermione's blind date finally came, she'd spent an inordinate amount of time getting ready, feeling incredibly silly the whole time. She wasn't going to be sleeping with her mystery date the same night that she met him, no matter how good looking he was!

As she stood in front of the mirror, her earlier self confidence in her dress was quickly evaporating - honestly, did they _charm_ the mirrors in the dressing room to make you look better - and her shoes felt dangerously wobbly. When Daphne had helped her pick out shoes, she thought that the first pair was great for a first date, only to have the blonde tell her that these _sensible_ four inch nude heels were for work.

No, the date shoes were tall platform heels in black which Hermione could barely walk in without the stabilizing charms she'd liberally applied.

Still, there was no more time to waffle. She was going to be late if she didn't leave now, so she reluctantly trudged over to the floo to make her way to Daphne's flat, feeling intense nervousness the whole time. What if her date was horribly rude to her?

Stepping into Daphne's flat - which was significantly more posh than Hermione was expecting for someone who was essentially kicked out by her parents - she was greeted by the tall blonde, who was wearing a black lace dress that somehow only covered the important bits, but still managed to look classy. "Hermione! I am so glad that you actually came!"

It was clear to Hermione, wrapped up in a tight hug - that her friend had had at least a little bit to drink before she arrived. "Thanks so much for having me, Daphne. Your place looks amazing."

"Come here, I want you to meet - well, be formally introduced to - my boyfriend. Theo, this is Hermione. Hermione, Theo."

Hermione did know Theodore Nott from school, as he'd been in nearly everyone of her classes, and was quite smart. Still, she knew him as being the shy, awkward boy from Slytherin, and she almost couldn't believe that her was dating Daphne. "Hermione." He shook her hand perfunctorily, before his face was transformed into something more welcoming by a bright smile. "Never thought I'd be going to dinner with you."

Hermione grinned back at him. "I guess I would say the same. Though, I don't think it will be too unpleasant." She smirked at him. "I have always wanted to talk to you about your Ancient Runes project from sixth year. Does your estate really have a Saxon rune stone?"

Theo's dark blue eyes widened. "Wow, I can't believe that you can remember that. Yes, actually. The Nott family has been on the same property for well over a millenia."

Daphne came back into the room, holding out a firewhiskey for Theo and champagne cocktail for Hermione. "Please don't start in on that swotty stuff now, Hermione! You'll only encourage him. It's the weekend, and we do not talk about anything that could resemble work."

"Your work?" Hermione asked intrigued to learn more about Theo Nott.

"Yes, I am an apprentice curse-breaker, working with a private firm." Theo told her. Hermione thought that that sounded terribly interesting, and she wondered what kinds of cases he'd had so far.

Just then, they heard the Floo sound up again. "Thank Merlin!" Daphne said, throwing her arms up. "Cassius is here...he won't bore me with talk of curse-breaking."

Hermione felt as though one hundred butterflies were going to emerge from her stomach that her date - Cassius - was there. Running through people who she knew, she tried to think of who Cassius could be. Daphne said that she knew of him, but she couldn't think...

"Granger." A deep voice greeted her from behind Daphne, moving to reveal her date.

"Warrington." Hermione replied with some surprise. Her date had been two years ahead of her in Hogwarts, and she did know of him, though only as one of the muscular chasers for Slytherin. She remembered Lee Jordan suggesting that Flint had gone for size rather than skill.

"Hermione, this is my cousin, Cassius." Theo introduced her politely.

The only resemblance between the two was their height and dark blue eyes, which Hermione could agree were devastating beautiful. But Cassius had dark, nearly black, curly hair, while Theo had straight dark blond hair; Cassius had a slight Irish lilt, while Theo had a posh, RP accent. "Cousin? I didn't know you were related."

"His mother was my mother's sister." Cassius told her, before stepping towards her, pressing a kiss to each of her cheeks. "Hermione Granger. Lovely to be formally introduced to you. You look gorgeous." He was so much taller than her, even with her heels on, he had to bend down to reach her.

"Likewise." Hermione said, a blush on her cheeks. So far, things had gone well, and he didn't seem disappointed or upset to learn that she was his blind date. Daphne went to get Cassius a drink, leaving the three to make some small talk. "So, what have you been up to recently?" Hermione asked politely.

"Well, I've just been traded to the Ballycastle Bats, so I've been moving." He said, his eyes lighting up. "It's exhausting, but I am happy to be moving back to Ulster."

"Are you from Ballycastle?" She asked him, interested.

"No, from Belfast." He said with a smile, taking a long drink of the firewhiskey Daphne brought back into the room.

"Cassius was playing in Italy for the last few years." Daphne said politely, trying to bring Hermione up to speed.

"Yes, mother thought that it was best if I leave the country with the war..." He seemed to remember just who he was talking to, and suddenly flushed in embarrassment. Still, Hermione didn't begrudge him.

"That was probably for the best." She put a wicked grin on her face. "I don't think you'd have fared well in a duel against me."

The rest of the group laughed at her joke, but still knowing that she probably could take him on, despite their size differential. "Well, we should probably get to the restaurant. We have reservations." Theo said, before ushering them out the door to the apparition point.

* * *

When they arrived at the restaurant, Hermione knew that Daphne had steered her in the right direction when it came to her outfit. She didn't look out of place at all, though she could sense that she had many eyes on her.

Though, Hermione figured that it had more to do with the fact that the brainy third of the Golden Trio's waist was being hugged by the burly arm of Cassius Warrington, and that she was sitting at a table with two other Slytherins.

They ordered more drinks at the bar, and Hermione found herself quickly relaxing into the conversation with the other three. Before long, she was really enjoying herself, and even let Cassius fed her a bite from his plate. The food was delicious, but Hermione would hope so based on the price of the dishes.

Although Hermione found Cassius very attractive, she didn't think that they really had much of a spark that could lead to a relationship. They just had almost nothing in common, and honestly, he seemed a bit wild. Not to mention that he was going to be living in Northern Ireland, which, despite magical transportation methods, was still difficult.

But she was having loads of fun flirting with him anyway. It felt great to know that he didn't hold her heritage against her, and he tried to keep up with her intellectually, even though she could tell he didn't really understand most of the in depth research she was discussing with Theo.

Plus, whenever she looked into his eyes, while they were blue, they weren't...right. They weren't Lucius's.

That thought shook her to the core, and while she was trying to examine what that meant, she didn't notice an angry redhead stalking towards the table. "Hermione?"

Turning her head, Hermione was surprised to see Ron Weasley. "Hello, Ron. Are you here with Romilda tonight?" She tried to ask airily, not really having the energy to deal with her ex-boyfriend when she was on a first date.

Seeing the bright blush on his cheeks, Hermione figured that he probably wasn't here with Romilda. She wondered if she should tell the younger girl, or if it would be perceived as jealousy. "Hermione, what the hell are you doing?" He asked, his voice already shaking with anger. He was wrenching her arm, pulling her away from Cassius.

"Ron, what are you doing?" She nearly shrieked, annoyed at being manhandled.

"What am I doing? What are you doing here with these...these, Slytherins!" He bellowed, drawing the attention of the whole restaurant to them.

Hermione pulled her arm back. "I told you at Grimmauld Place that I had a date! Daphne is my friend." She wanted to laugh, seeing that Ron clearly thought that she had been bluffing about the date. Why would she have done that?

He laughed, a hollow sort of laugh. "Really, Hermione. You want me to believe that Warrington would go on a date with _you_? We all know what their sort is. Get up, you are making a fool of yourself!"

Hermione didn't know if he meant because he was a Slytherin or because he was a famous Quidditch player. Still, it didn't matter when Cassius stood up and positioned himself between Ron and Hermione. "Is there a problem here, Weasley?" He asked.

"Yes, there is! I have a problem with you playing with Hermione's feelings. Why would someone like you go for her, when you have all sorts of Quidditch groupies?" Ron asked, puffing out his chest. It really stung to hear, and it was even worse that he somehow thought that he was sticking up for her.

"I happen to find Hermione incredibly beautiful, funny, and intelligent." Cassius said, firmly. "I think she's much better than a gaggle of Quidditch groupies." He put his hand on Hermione's back. "Come on, Hermione, let me walk me home. Theo? I'll pay you back."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes, but she let Warrington walk her out of the restaurant. "I'm so embarrassed." She whispered, feeling him tighten his arm around her. "Thank you for getting me out of there, but you don't have to walk me home."

"It's no trouble, Hermione." Cassius told her. "I understand...people you think are friends, learning that they think so little of you. The least that I can do is to walk you back."

When they got to her door, Hermione fiddled with her keys. She liked Cassius, but she just didn't think that there would be any more between them. "Listen, Cassius...I really had a good time with you tonight at dinner, but I don't know if we...are suited for one another." She looked down at her hands.

Cassius used his hand to tip her face up to meet his eyes, and he was looking at her with a bright smile. "I feel the same way, Hermione. I don't see a wild romance in our future." He then had a thoughtful look on his face. "Though, maybe we should kiss once, just to be sure?"

Hermione broke into a grin, before steeling herself, nodding to the handsome man. He bent down and pressed his lips against hers, catching her lower lip between his perfect lips, sliding against one another.

Even though Cassius was a brilliant kisser, Hermione could tell that there just wasn't a real spark there. He pulled away, a bit of disappointment in his eyes, and she could tell that he knew it too. "Well, maybe we could still see each other again. As friends?" He offered.

"Don't feel obligated." Hermione said, completely self deprecating, as though no one would actually want to be her friend. "But that would be lovely."

The pair bid each other goodnight, and Hermione returned to her bed, alone.

* * *

By the time Monday morning rolled around, Hermione was wishing the whole weekend could just go away. Her little fight with Ronald had made the Daily Prophet society pages, and she'd been hounded by owls asking for comment on the situation.

How wonderful, Hermione thought, that everyone in the wizarding world now knew that Ronald couldn't fathom that someone would want to date her. The only positive was that the photo that ran of her was quite flattering. She could admit that the dress did look good.

She was hoping that at work, she'd be able to keep her mind off of her friend, who she was planning on not speaking to until she got an actual apology, by throwing herself into work. However, it seemed that fate had other plans for her.

As soon as she'd gotten settled into her desk, Lucius called her into his office, charming the door shut behind her. "I see you had an _exciting_ weekend." He said, his voice betraying no emotion, with a copy of the paper in front of her. She could see the picture of her leaving the restaurant with Cassius's arm around her waist.

"Daphne set me up on a blind date." She said, her voice cracking, wanting to forget that it had ever happened. It felt even worse to be discussing this with Lucius...it almost felt as though she'd betrayed him, cheated on him. Only that was preposterous, and of course, Lucius wasn't jealous...or was he. "Wait...are you jealous?" She asked, shocked.

"Of course not." He said, imperiously. "I just thought that you had better sense than to engage in a public fight." She saw his eyes trail to the picture of her and Cassius again.

"You are jealous!" Hermione exclaimed. She didn't know if she should feel happy or annoyed, but both emotions were fighting a losing battle. "I can't believe you. Yes, we've...kissed, but we are not together."

Lucius sniffed, shutting the paper and throwing it in the bin. "I can assure you, Hermione, that that detail did not escape my notice. Please conduct yourself in a better manner next time. You represent this department." Looking down to the papers on his desk, he waved her out. "We are finished talking now."

Hermione was so annoyed with him, that he thought he could just order her around like that. She returned to her desk, feeling strangely guilty that she'd kissed Cassius, and strangely excited that Lucius was so jealous of him. Still, she could not accept the man's overbearing attitude.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Alright, who all is up for a smack Ron over the head line? Line forming here! Haha, seriously, though, enough of Ron. Thank you to everyone who favorited or followed after last chapter! Huge shout out to everyone who reviewed as well! This chapter begins the shift in relationship!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eleven and be on the lookout for chapter twelve soon!

* * *

 **October, 1999**

As the days to Harry and Ginny's engagement party ticked down, Hermione was desperately looking for a way to get out of going. Of course, she'd told them she'd be there, she felt obligated to go, but now it seemed like a terrible idea. Why should she had to subject herself to Ron's presence and Molly Weasley's disapproving looks when Harry and Ginny wouldn't be able to spare more than five minutes to her, given the number of guests attending?

She'd thought of a million ways to get out of it, but all of them had significant holes. She wished that she could just pretend to be sick, like a normal muggle would, and she cursed the speedy potions cures that existed in the Wizarding world for the first time in her life.

She'd even considered claiming spattergoit, but then she remembered that Molly would have significant knowledge of the symptoms, and be able to tell if she was faking.

Scowling, Hermione hated herself for being such a pushover to her so called friends, when they had done so little to make her feel welcome or appreciated. She only seemed to pop into their minds when they needed something.

To her surprise, an excuse came from an unlikely source. The Wednesday before Harry and Ginny's party, Lucius asked her if she'd like to accompany him to France for some meetings for work. He thought that her expertise would be needed there, as the French wizards were always prickly about working with the British, and he hoped Hermione could help smooth over the cultural issues.

Her relationship with Lucius had gone from walking on eggshells to rocky to nearly normal again in the weeks after her failed date with Cassius. Hermione was very uncomfortable with being forced to confront her growing feelings about Lucius, and she was sure that he was just as uncomfortable with realizing that he was jealous of some wizard.

Initially, she thought about refusing outright, given that she had such little time to prepare. To add on top of that, she didn't know if it was a great idea for her to be alone with Lucius for two days in a foreign place. They would probably be spending all of their time together.

But then, Hermione remembered her lonely cocktail dress hanging up for Harry and Ginny's party and how convenient it would be to just go to Paris. She could blame it on work, and then she wouldn't have to pretend for several hours. It would be a really great opportunity for her, as well, to show her worth on these envoys to other countries.

In the end, it took her shamefully little time to decide officially to go with. She would go to Paris with Lucius for the meetings on Thursday and Friday, and then she could just stay the rest of the weekend in the City of Lights, exploring museums and restaurants to her heart's content.

Happily, Hermione penned a quick note to Harry, letting him know that her plans had changed and a promise that she would owl her gift to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

Hermione was happily packing for her weekend, happy that she'd actually gone shopping with Daphne, when she heard her floo go. "Hermione?" Called a voice from the living room.

Standing, Hermione left her bedroom, mildly surprised to see Harry standing in her quiet little flat. "Hey Harry, what's up? Something to drink?" She asked him, her mood unshakeable even by his unexpected appearance. When he refused, she invited him into her bedroom. "I am sorry you have to watch me pack. I am just really busy." She said apologetically.

Harry sat on the corner of her neat bed, watching Hermione search through her closet for a particular dress, surprised to see the change in the type of clothes. "That looks nice, Mione." He said, when she held up a wrap dress to her body in the mirror. "Is it new?"

"Yes, I got it about a month ago. Daphne took me shopping." Hermione told him eagerly. "She was appalled with my work fashion apparently."

Hermione didn't miss the distasteful look on his face when she referenced Daphne. "You have been hanging out a lot with Daphne lately. I wouldn't have expected the two of you to have much in common."

"Well, she's nothing like I expected." Hermione said, honestly. "But she's a great friend." She defended the Slytherin girl, remembering that she had she own wrong impression of the girl not that long ago.

Perhaps Harry took that as a dig at himself. "Look...Hermione, I know things have been strained between us for a while now...and I want to say sorry." Harry told her, truth shining in his green eyes. "I know that...well, I've been hard on you with the whole Ron thing. You always seem like you have everything together. I just wasn't expecting it to bother you so much."

"You expected me to not be bothered by the fact that my boyfriend of nearly a year was cheating on me?" Hermione deadpanned. Honestly, she was over what Ron thought of her, or didn't think of her. She wasn't going to let him dictate her life anymore.

Harry had the decency to look embarrassed at her words. "He told me that he'd ended it with you."

"Well, he lied." Hermione countered, unwilling to back down from this.

"I'm sorry that it looked like I was taking his side. I didn't know the other side of the story." He argued, picking at some non-existent lint on his pants.

"You did take his side." Hermione insisted, unwilling to bend over this time, like she had in the past with her friends. "You could have at least asked for mine." She was surprised that she wasn't getting angry like she thought she would.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, this time with feeling, and Hermione believed him, even if she wasn't ready to forgive him. Yet. "I just need to make sure that the reason you aren't coming to the party...isn't that you are just trying to avoid us."

"Harry." She smiled softly at him. "I'm really just going for work. It was something that came up, and it's going to be a really great opportunity for me." Hermione was shocked by how easy it was for her to lie to Harry's face.

Still, it seemed to relieve some of the guilt that he was apparently carrying around. "Good. Well, I am glad you've found work that you really seem to enjoy." He told her. Hermione blushed, wondering how much of her work she just enjoyed because of Lucius. "I better get home now, let you finish packing."

"Yeah, get out of here so I can finally pack my knickers." Hermione teased, standing from the floor and walking him to the living room. She gave him a hug before watching him leave in the green flames.

It was nice to have the little chat with Harry. It certainly didn't bring things back to normal, but it was certainly a step in the right direction.

* * *

Hermione had expected traveling with Lucius Malfoy would be a pain, but he'd actually been quite a patient companion. Of course, he'd arranged for a private portkey to take them across international lines - only the best for Lucius. But once he got there, he was quite efficient, taking them to the hotel to get checked in.

She was kind of surprised that he didn't just have one of his "people" (aka house elves) take care of it for him. It was odd to see him so self sufficient.

Their rooms, though separate, were right across the hall from one another. After giving her a chance to freshen up, he was quick to escort Hermione through the streets of Wizarding Paris, only to take them to the French Ministry, where their meetings would be held.

Hermione was introduced to so many leaders from around the Wizarding world, including the French, German, Italian, Bulgarian, Russian, Spanish, and Belgian Trading Boards. She was a bit disheartened to learn that she was going to be the only woman in the room, but she was still glad to be there, lending her voice.

The only problem was that the other leaders seemed to be absolutely clueless about the banking culture that existed in England. She had no idea how their harebrained idea was going to work, and she wasn't afraid to say it. The meetings were to discuss the possibilities of a centralized currency across Europe, but it seemed to Hermione that it wasn't likely to happen, and she wasn't afraid to say it to Lucius when they walked back to the hotel together.

"I mean, honestly, Lucius! Have any one of those _powerful_ men even talked to a goblin before? The thought that they will just hand over total regulation of the banking industry in England is preposterous." Hermione ranted to him.

He smirked at her. "You see, this is exactly why I brought you along. I wanted to be sure that this idea wasn't too short sighted to succeed." Privately, he admired the way that her face was transformed when she was angry and ranting about someone. He just wanted to kiss her. Again.

"It's not that I don't want a centralized currency to succeed. The muggles actually have something like that." Hermione told Lucius.

"Where do you think we got the idea?" He asked her, giving her a real smile when he saw her shocked face. "What? I am not so...prejudiced that I won't use an idea that can make me money."

"Ugh, I don't know wether to be pleased that you know about muggle culture, or disgusted by how you are using it. What's next, the World Wide Web?" Hermione asked, sarcastically. She was privately quite pleased that he knew anything about the muggle world. She really wasn't expecting it.

Lucius nudged her with his shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous, Hermione. We don't have the computer infrastructure to support that."

Before she knew it, their playful banter had gotten them to the lobby of their hotel. "Excellent work today, Hermione. You were well spoken and show that you have a good cultural world view." He stared down at her from his impressive height. It was so easy to relax with her, for some reason, he found all of his usual mannerisms dropping.

Hermione blushed, rather prettily. "I never know how to feel about your compliments. I always think that you should be berating me for being a filthy mudblood." She said under her breath.

Lucius stiffened at hearing the slur. It was still an awkward issue between them, one that they never really talked about out loud. "Well, I only give compliments when they are do." Silence stretched on between them. "Shall we meet here in the lobby tomorrow morning to discuss transportation home?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, not wanting to stop talking to him yet, but realizing that she was being dismissed. "Sounds good. Have a good evening Lucius." She returned to her own room, alone.

* * *

The following morning, Hermione met Lucius, bags packed, in the lobby. She smiled, wishing him good morning, before deciding to tell him her plans to stay for the rest of the weekend. "You can go onto the portkey office without me, Lucius. I was planning on spending the rest of the weekend, exploring Paris."

"What a coincidence." Lucius practically purred. "I was also planning on staying the weekend. Where are your accommodations?" He asked, intrigued at the possibility of perhaps spending more time with the tiny Gryffindor girl.

Hermione blushed again. "I actually haven't secured any yet." She figured it wouldn't be too difficult to find something. She could certainly stay in hostel if she needed to. With her magical abilities, she would be very safe staying on her own.

"If I might be too bold, would you like to stay with me? The Malfoy family has a flat not far from the Notre Dame." He said trying to sound as suave as possible. It would be...highly advantageous to have her to himself for the whole weekend. What a happy coincidence.

Hermione opened her eyes in surprise at the offer. She never expected something like this. "Oh, I couldn't impose, Lucius. I will just find somewhere to stay, keep out of your hair." Saying that made her think of his hair, and what it would be like to run her hands through the long silky strands.

"I must insist." Lucius said, a bit more forcefully than he meant to. "I just want to make sure that you have a bed to sleep in. I highly doubt that you will be able to find suitable accommodation this late."

She nibbled her lower lip, considering his offer. "Oh, alright, if you insist." She finally decided on. While her mouth was agreeing, her mind was spinning, wondering what she'd just agreed to. It was a terrible idea, to put herself in such close quarters with such a huge temptation.

Was he going to expect her to sleep with him? Share a bed? Sure, they'd kissed, twice, but she wasn't sure what he expected out of their odd relationship. It was so odd that she was even having to worry about any of this with Lucius Malfoy.

Still, she found herself grabbing onto his arm, allowing him to side-along apparate her to his flat in Paris, excited to find out.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed after last chapter! This chapter is extra long, and quite a few of you guessed what was going to happen...

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twelve, and be on the lookout for chapter thirteen soon!

* * *

 **October, 1999**

Lucius apparated them to the courtyard that his flat was located in, in the Latin Quarter. Hermione was surprised by how modest everything seemed. It definitely wasn't anything like she expected a Malfoy to have.

He lead them up the stairs from the courtyard past a whole series of doors until he got to the one that must belong to him. Using his wand, he unlocked the door, allowing Hermione to enter first.

She hadn't realized until that moment just how nervous she was feeling. It felt as though her heart was going to leap out of her chest, only to have to slow when she surveyed the room. Hermione almost wanted to laugh, because this was nothing like what she expected a Malfoy would own. It was very muggle, and it almost seemed like a bolt hole.

Hermione wondered, sadly, if perhaps this was where Lucius came to escape. To be alone. She hoped that she was intruding on his privacy, but then again, he had insisted that she join him.

The flat spanned the whole building, so that one set of windows overlooked the courtyard and the other set you could see out onto the street. The flat was on the Left Bank, which amused Hermione to no end, and she wondered if Lucius knew just how pedestrian his locale was. It suited her, she thought.

The kitchen was small with just enough cooking space for one person to work at. Did he not have a house elf here? Did he cook for himself or had it just come with the apartment? The room was mostly dominated by a large table, enough for four people to sit at comfortably. Hermione set her traveling bag down on the table, and turned to face Lucius.

He was staring at her with an unanticipated intensity. It was as if he was trying to catalog her every reaction to the room. Was he nervous about what she would think of his home? Shaking her head, Hermione smiled at him. "Well, then, can I have the grand tour?" She asked.

"Of course." He murmured, walking past her in the tiny kitchen. The next room was a sitting room, with one wall absolutely stuffed to the brim with books and papers. Hermione smiled fondly at this, as it reminded her of her own apartment. Most of the titles were dominated by wizarding philosophy, but she noted one or two books on potions as well. "This is the sitting area." He said gruffly.

Hermione nodded, only feeling her fondness for the blond man grow. He was nervous that she wasn't going to like his apartment.

"And through this door, the guest room." He opened the door, and Hermione stepped inside. She felt a rush of relief at the fact that there were two beds. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her to share with him. Though, she also felt a little niggle of disappointment, as well. The bedroom overlooked the Paris streets. The bed looked fairly ordinary.

"Moving on, through this door is my room." He said, opening another door off of the sitting room. "And, unfortunately, the only bathroom is also located in this room." Hermione pursed her lips together. That could be a little bit awkward if she wasn't careful.

Lucius's room overlooked the courtyard, two huge windows across the room from the bed. This bed looked sumptuous and Hermione imagined what it might be like to snuggle into the incredibly soft looking sheets.

The bathroom was also rather ordinary, gleaming white. The only oddity was the large soaker tub. That certainly wasn't a typical feature in these little flats, and she wondered if it was Lucius who had put it in.

Turning around, Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat, as Lucius was standing just behind her. Lower lip captured between her teeth, Hermione felt as though time had stopped, wondering just what was going on between the two of them, before he finally stepped away from her. She felt a throb of disappointment rush through her body, before shaking her head, confused.

"Well, I'll just leave you to your afternoon. I was going to rest for a while, but feel free to go explore if you'd like. The wards will recognize you, if you want to apparate back here." Hermione nodded, glad to have an excuse to leave the tiny apartment. "Perhaps you'd care to join me for dinner this evening?" He asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Hermione didn't even have to think twice before she was agreeing to meet him back at the flat at seven.

* * *

She spent the rest of her afternoon exploring the city, taking the metro everywhere, and checking off sights she'd always wanted to see. The weather was not great, chilly and wet, but a discretely cast warming charm always did wonders for her.

Still, she found herself hurrying down an alley where she could apparate back to Lucius's flat, eager to get ready for dinner. Hermione thought about what she'd packed, trying to decide what to wear.

It was important that her outfit make an impression on the older man. Hermione could admit that she found Lucius attractive, and she wanted him to find her just as sexy. Still, she didn't know how she should do with the attraction. Should she act on it? She found it harder and harder to resist him, especially when the feel of his lips on his skin haunted her dreams.

Whenever she was with Lucius, it seemed that he just guided and steered her into doing whatever he wanted. Daphne did it to her as well, Hermione thought with a scowl. It must be a Slytherin trait. They were all so rich and all so used to getting what they wanted. But did it really matter when Hermione wanted it to?

Stepping out into the kitchen area, wearing a little black dress and some tall black heels, Hermione thought that she looked very chic and parisian. Lucius seemed to agree if the surprised look on his face was anything to go by.

He quickly schooled her features before offering his arm. "I know a delicious place not far from here. It's just a short walk up the Seine, if you don't mind."

"Absolutely. A walk would be lovely." Hermione said, her small hand resting against his arm tightly. They left the apartment together, walking along, taking in all the beautiful lights and sights. Hermione was blushing the whole while, thinking that this seemed an awful lot like a date so far.

Lucius greeted the maitre'd at the restaurant in French, before leading her to a table next to the window, with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. Hermione gasped when she saw it. "Oh, Lucius! It's so gorgeous!" She told him, her heart beating faster, thinking of how romantic a setting it was.

The waiter brought them wine right away, and Lucius asked if she would mind him recommending a dish for her. "I've tried everything on the menu here, so I think of myself as somewhat of an expert." He told her.

Months ago, Hermione would have thought his words were snobby and annoying, but now, she could see the warmth and excitement he was trying to share with her. Those Malfoys were so stoic, but you could still find hints of emotion in them, if you knew how to look. Happily agreeing, Hermione listened as he chattered in French with the waiter as well.

Before long, the other man skittered away, leaving Lucius and Hermione alone again. "What did you do today, Hermione?" He asked her, taking a long sip of some wine.

She blushed. "Oh, I am sure you'll find it rather boring. It was all...in the muggle world." There were pockets of wizarding people in Paris, and so far it seemed like Lucius did stray from those.

"I am not sure I could find anything about you boring." His gray blue eyes looked alight across the table, flickers from the votive candles that littered the table.

Hermione was unable to keep his gaze any longer. "Well, I went to the catacombs, La Sorbonne, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur. I went all over today. I didn't get a chance to get the Louvre, though." She told him with some disappointment.

Their food arrived, and Hermione was impressed to see the spread that Lucius had ordered for them. They had a baked Camembert which hearty French bread to share. For himself, Lucius had gotten mussels in a rich white wine sauce, and he'd ordered her rich duck dish, with fresh roasted vegetables. She could practically feel her mouth watering.

"If you'd like, I can show you around the Louvre tomorrow." Lucius offered, looking out the window. "I have visited many times, and I'll be able to show you everything worth seeing, and nothing that's not."

Hermione gasped. "Lucius! I am sure that everything in the Louvre is important in some capacity."

He smirked at her. "Don't pretend that certain things don't interest you more than others." Hermione gave him a stiff nod, thinking of things like Quidditch. There was probably a Quidditch museum somewhere, but that didn't mean that she wanted to visit it. "I can even show you the wizarding wing of the museum."

Hermione's eyes lit up at that. She wasn't even aware that a wizarding wing of the Louvre existed. "Alright, I'm sold." She said, excited with her plans tomorrow. It was odd how easily she got along with Lucius. She couldn't tell if they were kindred spirits, or if he was just trying to get her to like him.

When dinner was finished, Hermione found herself not wanting to leave his company yet. But, she was saved by a generous offer from the blond man. "Shall we take bottle of wine with us? I have some creme brulee in the chilling cabinet, if you'd like dessert?" Feeling her cheeks heat up again, Hermione nodded, excited to continue her conversation with Lucius.

* * *

The creme brulee was just as delicious as dinner had been, Lucius using his wand to melt the sugar on top, creating a pleasant sugary shell. The whole time, she'd been nervous and excited, trying to figure Lucius out. She always expected more out of his actions, but so far he'd seemed to have no ulterior motives.

She moved with him to the couch, having her second glass of wine out of the second bottle, her head dizzy and warm, but it felt pleasant, like she was wrapped in a blanket. "Hermione, why are you here with me this weekend?" He asked her finally, his cheekbones seeming severe in some way that they weren't usually.

Hermione felt herself color as it was something that she'd asked herself more than once, and honestly, she didn't have a good answer other than that she wanted to. "I don't know." She said, hating the way she sounded so meek.

"I only mean, I saw that Ginerva Weasley and Harry Potter were having an engagement party this weekend. It seemed odd that you should not attend." Lucius said, leaning back into the couch, his arm draped over the back, close to her body, but not touching.

"Oh, that." Hermione said with a sigh. "The three of them have been acting...well, it has just really hurt the way that they've treated me. Ron can't understand how anyone would want to date me, and has the gall to say it to my face, and then, Harry and Ginny just stand by and do nothing." She pushed her curly brown hair over her shoulder. "I am not ready to be around them yet."

"Ah. You miss your relationship with the Weasley boy." Lucius said.

Hermione scrunched her nose and shook her head. "No! I can't even believe he and I ever thought we could work." She said with a laugh. "No, it hurts more that as my friend for the last however many years, he can still think and say those things about me. I don't understand what changed."

"Well, perhaps it's because you returned to complete your studies, and Potter and Weasley had a year to grow closer. They've changed, you've changed, and it's not going to be the way that it was." Lucius responded.

Hermione's eyes widened, and she wondered when Lucius had had so much time to consider her relationship with Harry and Ron, but she thought he hit the nail on the head perfectly. Ginny would probably just go along with whatever Harry said. "Enough about them." Hermione said, plastering a smile on her face. "I had a very nice time tonight."

"As did I. I think you are a remarkable woman, Hermione." He said, his voice strained, as though he were unused to giving compliments. He reached across the couch, grabbing her empty wine glass and banishing it to the kitchen with his own, before letting his fingers touch her wild curls.

Hermione felt herself being pulled towards him by some invisible force, her mouth slightly parted and her eyes fluttering shut. She wanted nothing more in that moment than to kiss him. Luckily, he had the same idea and leaned forward, meeting her in frantic kisses. He let his tongue slip into her mouth, memorizing every moan and sigh that she made.

She let her arms wrap around his neck and her fingers to delve into the silky hair at his neck, needing to pull him closer against her body. His fingers ran up and down her arms, ghosting over the flesh that her dress didn't cover.

Before long, Hermione was pulling herself up on her knees so that she could straddle his lap, groaning at the feel of his hard cock between her legs. His hands fell to her waist, pressing her against him, so that he could grind against her covered core. She let her head fall back, and sighed again when he covered her neck with kisses.

Then she felt his fingers playing at the zipper of her dress, waiting for some kind of reaction to the movement, making sure that she was alright with this going further. Hermione stilled, thinking for a moment if she wanted it to go further than she already had. The last two times she hadn't wanted to stop kissing Lucius, but she'd talked herself out of it, felt guilty for it.

But now...now she wanted to be bold.

She stood from the couch, grabbing his hand and helping him stand up, before leading him to his bedroom, unzipping her dress while she walked, until it dropped in a pool around her feet, leaving her in just her knickers. Turning to face Lucius, she was surprised to be picked up and nearly tossed to the bed. Her breath left her in a fit of giggles, until she watched him unbutton his shirt.

In her mind, she knew that Lucius was quite fit, but she hadn't imagined to this degree. She was too shocked to do anything until he was crawling up the bed, leaving his pants behind, covering her body with pale flesh.

He was so warm, but he was giving her pleasant shivers up and down her spine, every time his lips pressed against her bare skin, capturing her hard nipple between his teeth, before soothing it with his tongue, the other hand palming her breast.

When his hands abandoned their task, instead trailing down her sides to remove her underwear, Hermione was using her own hands to release him from his. It didn't take long before they were equally naked, Lucius pushing a finger inside of her again and again, before rubbing the wetness around his cock.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat when she felt him at her entrance, but relaxed quickly, letting him inside her, moaning as she was filled by inch after velvety. Hearing his own masculine groan had her head spinning, drunk with the knowledge that she could make Lucius come undone like this.

She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down for another kiss, eager to take him fully. He grabbed her hips, pulling her against him again and again, while he pistoned in and out of her again and again, each of them eager for release. The way he was pressed against her had Hermione closer than she'd ever been during sex, and before she knew it, she was snapping, her core clenching around him as she came, his name on her lips.

Lucius followed not long after her, his hips stilling for a few beats before he rolled over, pulling her to rest her head on his chest. Utterly sated, Hermione stretched her toes, before curling around him and letting herself drift to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed after last chapter! I am so glad you liked their little date after last chapter. I can't believe it, but we've reached the halfway point of this story already. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour). Also, I have a new little oneshot coming out on Friday. It's a Fred x Hermione, so it would be great if you would check that out as well.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter thirteen and be on the lookout for chapter fourteen soon!

* * *

 **October, 1999**

When Hermione woke up the following day, it was by long fingers playing with her hair, gently removing the tangles that had formed in the night. There was bright white sunlight streaming in from the windows, none of the previous day's gray clouds lingered, and if she strained her ears, she could just hear birds chirping in the courtyard.

She was still curled around Lucius, she realized, grazing her fingertips over his chest. It really shouldn't be aloud for him to be so good looking.

Hermione was surprised that she wasn't completely upset that she'd slept with him. She did feel a little bit guilty for giving into her baser needs, but she was so attracted to him, and Merlin, did she want him. It was wrong, she knew, to sleep with her boss, but, she quickly pushed those feelings out of her mind.

The only thing that was troubling her was that she felt she had no idea what Lucius wanted with her. He was obviously attracted to her, but was he just using her to scratch an itch, or was there a possibility that he wanted more with her?

Deciding that just doing whatever she wanted had suited her quite well the past couple of weeks, she decided to ask him. Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, she looked up into his mercurial gray blue eyes. "Lucius, what do you want with me?" She asked.

He gave her a smirk. "Careful, that sounds like an invitation to your delectable body." He said, his finger coming down to pinch Hermione's nipple, causing her to gasp in shock and pleasure.

"I'm being serious Lucius." Hermione said, unable to continue looking at him. "Were you just looking for the chase, and now that you've had me, you'll start treating me like garbage?"

He looked affronted at her insinuation. "Absolutely not. I want you, Hermione, and I'm not entirely sure why, but I do want you, crave you." He let his fingers traverse the length of her spine. "But what I want right now is to spend the day with you at the Louvre."

Hermione didn't want to end the conversation like that, but she could also sense that it wasn't really a conversation either of them was ready to have, so she let it drop. Feeling a sense of pride fill her that he _wanted_ her, _desired_ her, Hermione gave him a bright smile. "Alright, I'll just go get changed, then."

Lucius reluctantly let her leave the bed, watching her nude form stalk off in the direction of the bathroom. He briefly thought about joining her, but decided it was best to let her sort out her thoughts by herself.

She did use her time showering to her advantage, trying to decide what to do about Lucius. It was true that he wanted her, but did she want him the same way? Yes, of course she did, was her obvious response. But, did it really matter if their relationship fizzled out after the weekend? Or should she just enjoy it while it happened?

Toweling herself off, she decided that it didn't matter, if it even made her a little bit happy, even if it only lasted a few days. She was taking control of her life, and that meant not getting tangled up in other people's sensibilities.

Once she was dressed and ready to go, Hermione met Lucius in the kitchen again. It was odd to see him looking quite so casual, and yet, fancy at the same time. She doubted that Lucius Malfoy could ever really do casual, she mused.

Offering her his arm again, Lucius led them to a patisserie on the way to the museum, getting her a chocolate croissant that melted like butter in her mouth. When they'd finished their breakfast, they walked across the Pont Neuf to the Louvre.

The museum was massive, but Lucius guided her along with a gentle pressure on her lower back to art he thought she might like, his deep voice whispering into her ear with various titbits he'd learned about the artists. The wizarding portion of the museum was vast, but he mainly showed her the artwork relating to Morgana, which she sincerely enjoyed.

By the time that they left, the sun had already set, and Hermione was embarrassed by how loud her stomach was grumbling. With a smile, Lucius led her to another restaurant, this one much more casual than the one from the night before, to get them some sandwiches, which they ate together on a bench overlooking the Seine.

Hermione thought that her heart just might explode with how romantic it all was. She never imagined she could find this level of connection with Lucius, but she had. She supposed people always told her she was so mature for her age, so it made sense that she would be attracted to an older man.

Returning to the apartment, Hermione didn't want the night to end after such a perfect day, didn't want to spend a moment out of Lucius's presence, but she was lucky to find that he shared the same thought process. "Would you like to share my bed this evening, Hermione?" He asked without a hint of nerves or embarrassment.

Eagerly, she nodded, and followed him into the bedroom.

* * *

When Hermione got back to England, she was nervous that her fairy tale weekend with Lucius might mean the end to their little relationship, and she was surprised by how much she hated thinking that way. To her immense surprise, though, just outside of the portkey office, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her he'd very much like to see her again.

She knew that she told herself she was content with just a weekend fling, but that one tiny statement gave her so much hope that she might find something more with Lucius, even if she knew that it wasn't likely to last.

When she returned to her flat, she found a thank you note from Harry and Ginny - well, Ginny mostly - thanking her for her gift. Ginny had also wrote how lovely she looked on her date in the picture from the Daily Prophet, and how did she know Warrington, and did this mean Hermione wasn't going to be a Hollyhead Harpies fan any more, and just where did she get her dress, and would Hermione go to shopping with her sometime.

Hermione sighed at Ginny's words, thinking that the younger girl was making an effort to pretend like nothing had happened, when really if she would just acknowledge that Ron was out of order, things would be a lot less strained.

Harry had written in a tiny corner how much they'd missed her at the party and that he hoped her trip to France had been worthwhile.

A secret smile formed on her face when she thought about just how worthwhile of a weekend it had been for her. She had a secret lover now, which was, wow, just a bizarre thing to say.

Hermione Granger had a secret lover.

It was exciting and new and heady and Hermione _liked_ having this secret. She couldn't remember the last time she had a secret that she didn't share with Harry and Ron. Thinking back, she supposed it was that she'd obliviated her parents and sent them to Australia...but that thought threatened to chase away all of these new happy feelings.

It was better to focus on the good things now, she thought stubborning, pushing thoughts of her parents out of her mind. It was better to think of how Lucius looked in the morning, tousled, and bathed in sunlight.

Feeling rather alone curled in the bed in her flat, Hermione let thoughts of Lucius rock her gently to sleep.

* * *

Seeing Lucius again at work had Hermione feeling quite nervous. All morning, her stomach had been in knots, wondering how he would react to her when he came into the office that day. Would she be able to stand it if he reacted coldly to her presence?

In the end, Lucius acted rather naturally when he made his way past her desk, and Hermione was rather a bit disappointed. That was until he sent her a secret smile when he was just out of sight of Lucian Bole.

Honestly, one look in her direction from that glorious man and her heart was beating wildly. It was almost embarrassing, Hermione thought, with a blush on her cheeks. Did she affect him this much? That, she thought, was probably not likely.

She tried to focus on her work, because, really she had quite a lot that had piled up in the two days that she was gone, but she found that it was eluding her. She was Hermione Granger for Merlin's sake! She should easily be able to power through some memos to the Wizengamot, who were set to approve some of their recent trade deals.

Hermione Granger shouldn't be desperately clenching her thighs together, trying to kill some of the heat that formed there, caused by a man sitting just feet away from her! If it wasn't the only thing that she could think about, Hermione would be embarrassed.

Finally, unable to think of anything else, she decided to pen him a sexy little note to seduce him. She absolutely needed to have him again and she was going to get her way. Chewing on the end of her quill, she thought what phrase would best titillate the man, but she was unable to come up with something that didn't sound quite so...scientific.

Giggling to herself as she tried to come up with some word other than 'penis' to describe the bit of his anatomy that she missed the most, she didn't notice Daphne sneaking up on her until she was right behind her. "Hermione!" Daphne gasped.

Hermione hoped beyond hope that Daphne hadn't seen anything on the paper, but the look in her eyes made Hermione think that she probably knew exactly what Hermione was doing. "Merlin, Daphne, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Hermione. What are you doing?" Daphne demanded, not even attempting to apologize for startling the girl. Wasn't constant vigilance some kind of Gryffindor motto? Obviously not when writing salacious notes, because no Slytherin would be caught dead doing that.

Hermione caught her lower lip between her teeth, feeling horribly guilty about the situation she was in. "It's nothing. I was just getting caught up on memo writing." She knew that the bright red color of her cheeks was giving her away though.

"It doesn't look like nothing." Daphne said, crossing her arms across her chest, clearly not approving of Hermione's actions. Hermione winced, feeling like a naughty child. She hadn't felt this much disappointment in herself since she lied to Professor McGonagall and told her that she went after the mountain troll. "Come on, you and I are going to go to lunch and have a little chat."

Merlin, the last thing that Hermione wanted to do was to talk about _this_ with Daphne. "But, I'm not hungry, Daphne, and really, I have a lot of work to catch up on." She attempted.

Daphne gave her a saccharine smile that was anything but sweet. "It will be quick I promise." Placing her hand on Hermione's arm, she began pulling her towards the door. "Come on. Lunch now."

Hermione reluctantly followed her friend out of the office to be interrogated over salads, wondering just how it was everyone thought she was the bossy one at Hogwarts.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed after last chapter! I know some of you are surprised that Hermione wasn't bothered by the fact that Lucius is married, but she believes that they are separated, and so it kind of slipped her mind. It will come up later. And I know she's a bit of a pushover to just tell Daphne everything, but Daphne is looking out for her best interests. She's a good friend. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post various things, sneak peeks, future fics, the like.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter fourteen and be on the lookout for chapter fifteen soon!

* * *

 **October, 1999**

Hermione knew she was caught, but wasn't ready to give in just yet. "Daphne, what are you talking about?" She said, picking up her fork to play with the tines.

"I am talking about you writing a note to _Lucius Malfoy_ that had the words " _miss your dick"_ in it?" Daphne clearly wanted to shriek, but she was able to keep a handle on her voice. Still it made Hermione wince to be scream whispered at.

Knowing that the charade was up, Hermione looked down a deep blush on her face. She certainly hadn't planned on telling anyone about what had happened with Lucius in Paris, but she couldn't very well hide it _now_. She'd wanted to enjoy having a secret lover for a while longer. How could she have been so careless?

"I...it's not a big deal Daphne." Hermione wondered if she could try to convince Daphne that she'd just read it incorrectly. One look at her face though, said that Daphne was deadly serious.

"C'mon, Hermione. I am worried about you." She told her, and Hermione could tell that her new friend was completely genuine. She wondered why the Gryffindors thought that the Slytherins couldn't be trusted, when she could clearly trust Daphne. "I mean, this is Lucius Malfoy we are talking about."

Hermione looked around, hoping that no one had heard them talking so far. Waving her wand, she cast a muffliato around their table so they could talk without being overheard. "I'm not entirely sure how it happened." Hermione admitted. "I guess it started when he kissed me at Harry's birthday party at the Ministry party."

Daphne could tell there was more to the story and crossed her arms over her chest again. "He obviously has done more than kiss you if you've seen his dick." She said, a bit sarcastically.

"Well, yes, I just said that was the beginning." Hermione responded, feeling so self conscious. "I tried to ignore him, really, I did."

"That was when you were sending him inter-office memos?"

"Yes, I figured if I didn't see him, I could forget that it had happened. But then he invited me for drinks. And I wasn't going to go, I had no intention of going." Hermione told her, wishing that she had something stronger than water to drink right now. "Then I went to dinner at Grimmauld and I was so mad at Ron, and wanted to prove to him that someone did like me, so I met up with Lucius. We made out." Hermione said guiltily.

"And then?" Daphne asked getting impatient. She was disappointed in Hermione, but that didn't mean that she didn't want the details.

"Last week when we went to Paris, he invited me to stay in his flat for the weekend." Hermione told Daphne, suddenly feeling apprehensive. "It was just so romantic, Daphne, and then I couldn't help myself, and then we slept together. Twice."

"Hermione!" Daphne scolded her. "I don't know if I should proud of you or disappointed in you." The blonde really couldn't belive that do-goody Granger would sleep with her married boss. And apparently she wanted to do it again.

"I know! I know it's stupid, and I probably don't mean more to him than...well, he seemed so ernest." Hermione knew that she seemed silly, and just hearing herself say the words aloud made her really consider them.

"Of course he seemed ernest, he's a Slytherin. He is willing to go to any length to get what he wants." Daphne grimaced. She didn't want to hurt Hermione, but she also didn't want the Gryffindor girl to get hurt because she didn't understand the social politics that the Malfoys played.

"I'd considered that." Hermione said meekly. "But, I also have just decided to see where this goes! Recently I've been going after what I want, and it's only been helping me. If this fizzles out in a week, so be it." She felt a lot less confident than she sounded.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Hermione, putting unrealistic expectations on the situation." Daphne said, before she was rudely interupted by the waiter, bringing them their lunch. She glared at the man, making him run away, wondering what he'd done to cause such a reaction. "I want it to work out well, but this is Lucius Malfoy. It will probably fizzle out. Quickly."

Daphne had known the Malfoy family her whole life. Draco had been especially annoying when he was younger, but he'd grown up to be less pratish. That didn't mean that he wasn't willing to use girls' feelings against them to get what he wanted. Why Astoria kissed the ground he walked on was beyond her.

Hermione looked down, clearly upset. "I already really like him." She admitted. She wasn't sure how, but her feelings for Lucius had come up suddenly and bowled her over like a wave.

"Then you should walk away now." Daphne insisted. "I mean...even if he wasn't your _boss_ , which is just a whole level of...questionable ethics already, he is married to Narcissa. Did you forget about that little fact?" Daphne knew that, even if they didn't get along, Narcissa would never let Lucius go without a fight.

Hermione's cheeks colored. "We've actually talked about that. Lucius and Narcissa are separated." Hermione couldn't even believe that she hadn't thought about the Narcissa aspect, when she was away with Lucius. He never spoke of his family, and she'd completely forgotten.

"Are you sure?" Daphne asked, surprised. "When we were drawing up Draco and Astoria's betrothal contract earlier this summer, they seemed very much involved."

The brunette wrinkled her nose, considering the possibilities. She bet that they were just putting on a front. "No, I trust what Lucius told me. They live separate lives." She insisted. Hermione briefly wondered if the more ardently she believed it, was it more likely to be true?

"Alright, I guess." Daphne said, very uncomfortable with the situation. "I still think you should just walk away now, Hermione."

"That's probably smart." Hermione said, trying to weigh all the morals she had. "I guess...I won't instigate anything. Unless he is serious about a relationship, it would be better not to get involved."

Daphne rewarded her with a bright smile. "I think that's a great idea, Hermione. Now, did you see that tacky turquoise tie that Bole was wearing today? Merlin, that just might push me over the edge to file sexual harassment charges against him. The other day, he pinched my arse in front of a client!"

Hermione shook her head. "Just file it already. Honestly, I don't know how you put up with it Daph. I would be hexing people left and right if they treated me like he treats you."

"I just know...he's got a lot of powerful friends. I always hoped if I ignored him, he would leave me alone. But now threats aren't working either." Daphne said.

"Maybe you should tell Theo?" Hermione offered, before the girls devolved into a lively discussion of if telling Theo about Bole would constitute getting someone else to fight your battles for you.

* * *

After her discussion with Daphne, Hermione had focused on forgetting anything had happened with Lucius in Paris, but that she would just act normally, as though no sexual attraction existed between them. She'd burnt the little note that she was going to send him, and it was a bit satisfying to watch it disintegrate into ash.

Any lingering sexual desire that she had for the blond man was drowned out in a sea of paper work, discussing the trade of powdered auroch horn from Switzerland, which was truly asexual, if not a bit disgusting. She didn't even want to think about how much Persistent Oozing Fungus Removal potion could be brewed with the amount that they were importing.

Hermione was so busy with her work, that she didn't notice the hours tick by, and before long, everyone was leaving the office. Daphne stopped at her desk, looking a bit concerned, and invited her out for drinks with Theo and Blaise, but Hermione just waved her off. She was too deep into her calculations to stop now.

When she was finally done for the day, it was nearly half seven and there was no one else on her floor of the office, except for Lucius. She stretched, wincing at hearing how many times her back cracked, before the blond man was asking to see her in his office.

Once she'd stepped into the office, Lucius sent a locking and warding charm at the door. Her eyes probably widened comically when she realized just how alone that they were. He met her around the desk and began pressing urgent kisses against her face and the exposed skin of her neck.

She shivered feeling his hot breath against the shell of her ear. "I've nearly gone mad waiting for you." He told her in that sinful voice of his. When Hermione felt his fingers working on the buttons of her blouse, she pushed him back, Daphne's words at the forefront of her mind.

"Listen Lucius. I can't do this, it's not right." Hermione said, unable to meet his eyes, knowing she'd lose all of her resolve. "I won't insult you by saying this weekend was a mistake...but, well, you're married." She felt her shoulders slump, as though a massive weight had been placed on them.

But Lucius just pulled her tighter against his chest. "This weekend opened my eyes. As you know, Narcissa and I are separated, but continuing our farce of a relationship is only hurting the both of us. After seeing what a could have, the passion, the...romance, I've decided I can't go on like that anymore. I am going to begin divorce proceedings with Narcissa."

Hermione searched his eyes for any hint of a lie, but she only found herself reflected in his blue eyes. Her heart skipped a beat at his words. Of course, she didn't see it as he was leaving his wife _for her_ , but it still meant that there was a possibility of something more with him.

Would it really be so wrong, knowing that he truly wasn't going to be in a relationship with Narcissa anymore?

His thumb swiped over her hard nipple, and even through the fabric she could feel the heat of his desire. A pulse of heat shot between her legs, throbbing. Merlin, she needed him.

Standing on her tiptoes, Hermione pressed her lips against his, slipping her tongue between his lips and sighing at the feeling of being so intimately joined with him again. He responded in kind, his hands moving from her waist to her wild, curly hair, pulling her firmly against him. After a moment of plundering her mouth, he walked her backwards, until her bum was against the cool wood of his desk.

Breaking their kiss, Lucius waved his wand, all of his papers neatly stacking to the side. She smiled, hoping up on the desk. Just because they were passionate was no reason to make a mess.

He stepped between her legs, and she could feel his hardness pressing against her insistently. Oh, how she'd missed him. She'd had an ache in her cunt for the past two days without him to fill her. Giggling, Hermione reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt, only to have him do the same with her blouse, pushing the silky fabric down over her shoulders.

With a sense of urgency, he pulled the cups of the bra down to expose her creamy flesh to him, before pushing her back. With a gasp, Hermione was simultaneously topsy turvy from the change in position and grounded by the feel of his lips and teeth on the peaks of her breast. Holding one hand against the back of his head, Hermione used the other hand to pull up her skirt.

Her world was spinning in desire and flush with passion, she needed him inside her. "Please, Lucius. I need you." She whispered in his ear.

Lucius made himself upright and Hermione watched as he loomed over her. He was all firm muscle and pale skin, smattering of dark blond hair on the top of his chest. He didn't look angelic, but rather like a warrior, come here to plunder her. When his hands finally released his member from his trousers, Hermione didn't think she could focus on anything else, but still helped him to pull her knickers down her legs, until they were just hanging off one of her feet.

He positioned the tip of his cock against her and hissed at the wetness. "So wet for me. I knew you wanted this just as much as me." And with that, he was surging forward, again and again, making Hermione squeal with each thrust.

Wrapping her legs around his trim waist achieved a deeper angle, one that had Hermione clenching around him with each thrust. He was so thorough, so hard, that with each stroke, she was sliding up the desk. Reaching her arms up to curl around the lip of the desk, she heard Lucius hiss. "Look at you, spread out for me like a feast."

He covered her body with his, kissing her neck and chest, while slipping a hand between them to manipulate the little button at the top of her sex. It didn't take long before she was snapping, coming around him, and moaning his name.

Lucius continued to circle her clit with his fingers through her orgasm was complete, and he was followed her over the edge into ecstasy. Collapsing against her, Hermione relished the wild beating of his heart, pressed against her breast.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed there, but by the time that they moved, she was sweaty and cool. Lucius stood and quickly righted himself. Hermione rearranged her skirt, and smiled when Lucius helped her button her blouse back up. When she was looking for her knickers on the floor, she found that he already had the scrap of black lace. "I hope you don't mind if I keep this as a souvenir."

Hermione didn't think her cheeks could be more red, but she nodded, excited that he wanted something of hers...well just what was he planning on doing with those? Deciding those kind of thoughts were for when she was alone in her bed, she pushed it out of her mind. "Thank you for the lovely evening, Lucius." She told him, only to have him bend over and press a sweet kiss against her lips.

"Goodnight, Hermione." He whispered, before releasing the charms on the door, allowing her to leave the office, excited about her secret lover once again.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed after last chapter! I know all of you are like "Hermione! Be Careful!". As you can probably guess, there will be a lot of ups and downs in the next ten chapters, but I hope you don't mind it too much. She is learning so much about herself, and it will just take time for her to figure things out. This chapter has quite the passage of time. We are six months to the first chapter of this story at the end of the chapter. Alright, you can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks and the like.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter fifteen and be on the lookout for chapter sixteen!

* * *

 **October, 1999**

Her relationship with Harry had begun again slowly, with the raven haired boy realizing how much his silence had truly hurt her. Hermione had initially felt guilty about her secret relationship with Lucius and had only accepted his initial tea invitation out of that guilt, but she was glad she did, as things were slowly thawing.

He did constantly apologize for Ron's behavior during her blind date, but Hermione was firm to remind him that he couldn't apologize for someone else. Apparently, Ron and Romilda had made quite the scene at Harry and Ginny's engagement party, when he was caught kissing someone else. Even so, the couple was still together.

Hermione still hadn't mended things with Ginny yet, as the younger girl had yet to apologize for her behavior, something that Harry was constantly bringing up. "You know, Gin and I would really love to have you around for dinner sometime."

She winced, thinking that would probably include Ron and Romilda, but seeing her hesitance, Harry cut her off before she could decline. "I mean, just you, we can get rid of Ron for one evening. You can even bring Warrington if you want."

The mention of Cassius brought a bright pink blush to her cheeks as she was decidedly not in any romantic entanglement with the dashing Quidditch player, but rather, with her tall and handsome boss. She'd met up with Cassius one other time, but it was purely platonic, and they spent most of their time discussing his move back to Ireland.

Deciding it was far too complicated to discuss her non relationship with Cassius, Hermione deflected from the conversation. "I don't know, Harry. Cassius is quite busy with Quidditch having started their season recently. And, we don't have _that_ kind of a relationship."

"Are you sure? I thought I saw flowers in your flat during our last fire call." Harry said. That boy was far too observant for his own good.

Hermione took a long drink of tea to compose herself. "No, those weren't from Cassius. Honestly, Harry, a girl can buy herself flowers to make her flat seem less gloomy every now and again." Of course, Hermione knew, the flowers were a gift from Lucius.

His green gaze implied that he didn't believe her at all, but that he wouldn't press the issue. "Whatever you say."

"I don't know, Harry...things are still a bit tense with Ginny." Hermione said. "You know the Weasley women have always picked their family's side over the truth...I mean, you remember the whole business with the Triwizards Tournament." It was difficult to bring this up to the boy who was clearly in love with Ginny, but it was reality for Hermione.

"I know, Hermione, but Ginny does feel really badly about it all, and she just doesn't know how to go about apologizing." Harry said, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. "Just promise me you'll think about it?"

Hermione decided that it wouldn't hurt. It had been weeks since she'd seen Ginny, and she hadn't really given the redhead a chance to apologize. "Alright, I will think about it. Now, I've got to get back to work." She stood from the table she shared with Harry.

He gave her a smile. "You are such a hard worker, Hermione. Promise me you'll let me know if Malfoy gives you any trouble?"

Harry had learned about Malfoy being her boss, only to suggest that he'd planned the trip to France so that Hermione couldn't have any fun with her friends. If only he knew the truth. "I think I can handle Lu-Malfoy on my own, Harry." She was embarrassed at her slip up, but Harry didn't seem to notice with her arms wrapped around his in a hug.

* * *

 **October 31, 1999**

The Ministry's annual Samhain Ball was such an exclusive event that even Harry Potter hadn't gotten an invite. It was reserved for Division Heads and other high ups in the Ministry, but Hermione had gotten an invitation on the arm of one Lucius Malfoy.

Really, she was lucky that a lot of people at the Ministry found it too old-fashioned or too old ways to participate. Hermione couldn't imagine running into Arthur and Molly Weasley while she was all tarted up and laughing with Lucius.

She wore a tight fitting orange and gold dress that Daphne had helped her to pick out, suspicious all the while, because Hermione wouldn't tell her what it was for. Hermione couldn't pinpoint why she wouldn't tell Daphne about her relationship with Lucius, but she thought it probably had something to do with how disappointed Daphne would be with her if she knew.

It was exciting for Hermione to be asked by her lover, as she was surprised he would be willing to take someone other than his wife to a party where he'd been seen by so many important people. She figured that the divorce proceedings must be going well, since he wasn't worried about being seen with her. It made her feel as though they had a real relationship for once.

Hermione loved the way that her appearance had excited him obviously. His grin was absolutely predatory when he'd picked her up from her flat, his eyes traveling up and down her curves. "I can't wait to show you off." He'd offered her kisses and his arm, before they were transported to the Ministry of Magic for the party.

While there, he hadn't let her stray more than an arm's length from him the whole night, his hand always touching her in some way, reassured that she was close. The heat from his hand on her lower back, slipping to cup her arse when no one could see him, had her positively dripping in excitement.

Normally, she'd be annoyed with such a macho move, but for some reason, she couldn't think of anything better than to be possessed by Lucius.

She wasn't even sure how she was able to maintain her concentration to talk to the revolving door of important wizards that stopped by to discuss this and that with Lucius. Though he was a known Death Eater, it seemed his business acumen was still widely respected in the wizarding world.

Finally, it was time to leave the party, and Lucius was whispering in her ear, his lips pressed against the shell of her ear, causing tingles to form in her appendages. "I am so proud of you, Hermione. You hold yourself so well and it makes me so hard to know I have such an intelligent witch. I can't wait to get you home."

The pull of side-along apparition had Hermione's stomach flip flopping with nerves at the possibility of going to Malfoy Manor, only to be deposited in her flat. She'd long ago keyed him into the wards. His lips fiercely pressed against hers had her forgetting all her previous concern.

Wrapping her legs against his body, Lucius carried her into her bedroom, only to set her down next to the bed. Walking around her, he ran his fingers up and down the exposed skin on her back, before pushing the straps down and letting the fabric pool against the floor, leaving her completely nude. "No knickers? If I'd known before the party, we never would have made it out the door."

Hermione turned to face him, her cheeks slightly red. "The dress was too tight to wear them." She said, sheepishly.

Unwilling to be the only nude one, Hermione got to work removing his formal robes, all the while facing a barrage of not so innocent touching by his hands. Pulling him back against her bed, Hermione crawled on top of him for an exceedingly comfortable evening.

* * *

 **November, 1999**

Hermione had hoped that the Samhain Ball would be a movement to a more public relationship with Lucius, but he seemed content to court her in secret. She supposed that was for the best, though, with the divorce still pending. She wouldn't want to do anything that would put Lucius in jeopardy.

Still, he was very generous, often sending her flowers or even on one occassion, jewelry. She knew how immensely he enjoyed seeing her wearing the tiny diamond studs at work, though it wasn't entirely conducive to work. He was liable to pull her into his office and silence the room. If anyone else in the office that noticed, no one said anything.

He would take her out to dinner or drinks a few times a week. Daphne had noticed that Hermione's social calendar was significantly more busy than when she'd first started to work at the Ministry, but so far had kept her mouth shut about it, though Hermione got the sense that she was more an more suspicious.

Really, Hermione thought, they were exceptionally lucky that no one at the Prophet had caught wind of their relationship, but she supposed all the places that he'd take her out were too exclusive to let in photographers or too small to be of note.

Afterwards, he would take her home to her flat, for a tumble in the sheets or in the shower or in her living room, or there was even one time on her kitchen table, completely interrupting her from making them breakfast. She felt a bit oversexed with just how much they got around, but she found it suited her.

Lucius was never put off by the way that she took what she wanted when it came to sex, after she'd gotten over her initial hesitancies. He was an incredibly considerate lover and Hermione knew that he wouldn't judge her for her needs or wants, and she knew just how hard it got him when she begged for just one more orgasm.

It was going incredibly well, though Hermione was beginning to long for a time when they could be public with their relationship. It was true that she'd enjoyed having a secret lover, but she was falling for the older man, and she wanted to be able to tell her friends. She wasn't going to take out an ad in the Daily Prophet, but it would be nice to stroll through Diagon Alley, holding hands, letting all the other women know that Lucius Malfoy was her wizard.

* * *

 **December, 1999**

Hermione was getting ready for a date with Lucius when she received the owl from the Australian Ministry. When she'd contacted them for assistance in finding her parents and then reversing the memory charm that she'd performed on them, the Australian mind healer had been cautious, but optimistic.

He'd told her that it could take months, even years, but it was likely that the damage was reversible.

Eagerly tearing into the letter, Hermione's mind was already spinning with plans to go pick up her family over the holidays. Maybe Lucius would even consent to go and retrieve them with her, and then she could introduce him to her parents.

The words of the letter quickly became too blurry to read through her tears, but certain words thrust like a knife into her heart. "Sorry...irreversible...cannot be restored...extensive damage...happy here." She sank into her couch, tears streaming down her cheeks.

That was how Lucius found her when he apparated in to pick her up for their date. "Hermione, what is it?" He asked, immediately slipping onto the couch next to her. Finding that she was unable to speak, without great hiccupping sobs, Hermione handed him the parchment. She used the moment to try and anchor her emotions by watching his own.

When he was finished, he was quiet for a moment before looking at her. "Let me make you some tea." Once Hermione had a steaming cup of tea in her hands, Lucius decided to broach the topic. "Your parents...the memory damage..."

"It's all my fault. I thought that they might be a target to the Death Eaters-" As if suddenly remembering who she was talking to, Hermione sucked in a breath, horrified. Of course, Lucius was a Death Eater, and this was a bit of their relationship that they'd always skirted around it. "I'm sorry." She blurted out.

Lucius looked pained, but shook his head. "No, don't apologize. They certainly were a target to the Death Eaters. As you know, you were quite high on the list of wanted fugitives."

"I obliviated them. I just wanted to keep them safe." Hermione gushed, tears once again in her eyes. "But now, they are gone forever. The mind healer was so hopeful, but..."

Lucius wrapped her up tightly in a hug. "I am so sorry my sweetheart. But I can tell you that this is definitely a better life than what they would have had if you hadn't spirited them away."

"You don't know that." Hermione insisted.

"Yes I do." Lucius said pointedly, and he felt her stiffen in his arms, obviously upset at his insinuation.

"I don't want to talk about that." Hermione said quietly, but relaxing in his arms.

"We have to talk about it sometime, Hermione." Lucius said sternly. "We've been avoiding the fact that I was a Death Eater and that you were on the other side, and that I let you be tortured in my own home, and I stood by and did nothing."

Hermione felt tears in her eyes again. "I...it wasn't your fault. I never blamed you. Just Bellatrix." She said quietly, rubbing at the mark that still marred her arm.

"But still, I...I should have done something. What good am I as a man if I can't even protect an innocent child from being crucioed in front of my very own eyes? Your screams haunted me for weeks." Lucius revealed, all in a rush, and Hermione figured that he probably didn't want to tell her all of that.

Hermione was a bit put out because she was sure that Lucius had performed that very curse multiple times, but then again, she'd done terrible things during the war as well. Instead of trying to argue with him that desperate times call for desperate measures, she stayed silent.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione. I hate that I ever got involved with that group. It seemed so...normal at first, but then things just got out of control and I...but, I didn't have the strength to let go. It destroyed my family, and I even offered him my own son." He whispered into her hair.

Lucius had done many terrible things in the past, but Hermione didn't want to focus on the war any longer. If she could absolve him of his transgressions against her, perhaps she could someday earn the same from her parents, even if she knew that they would never actually be able to give it. "It's okay, Lucius. I forgive you." She said meekly, before resting her head on his shoulder.

She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, her head fuzzy with sleep, but eventually she wanted to be more comfortable. Standing, Hermione held her hand out to his. "Come, I won't be able to sleep tonight if you aren't holding me."

He followed her into the bedroom, and they both stripped down, but they didn't look to carnal pleasures for satisfaction, instead cuddling into one another's warmth, spooned around one another, looking for absolution.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thank you so much to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed after last chapter! You are all so awesome. Hermione is going to be going through so stuff in the next two chapters, so prepare yourself. I really hope that you still like it though. For this chapter, we have Christmas!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter sixteen and be on the lookout in chapter seventeen soon!

* * *

 **December, 1999**

When Lucius had invited Hermione to spend Christmas with him, she didn't hesitate. She didn't have anywhere else to go, with her parents out of her life, and the reception still frosty at the Burrow. Still, when Harry and Daphne asked where she was spending the holiday, she told them she was going to Sydney to spend time with her parents.

Instead she was off to Bruges in Belgium with Lucius. The house that he owned there was much more "Malfoy" than the flat in Paris, but it still wasn't intimidating to Hermione. It was a cute little row house just off of the canal.

Hermione was excited to spend the holidays with Lucius, as it seemed like a new step forward in their relationship, though she wondered if Lucius was disappointed to not get spend the holidays with Draco. It was a bit odd to think of her former school mate as Lucius's son, but it was the truth. She figured this was probably a good sign, if he was spending Christmas apart from Narcissa.

They arrived late on the 23rd, but Hermione was eager to explore the city, so Lucius obliged her, bundling up and taking her out into the light snow. Even the gentleman, he even offered her his arm while they strolled through the canals, Hermione entranced by all the lights. "This is so gorgeous, Lucius." She said. Even his house had been decorated with white Christmas lights.

"I am glad you like it." Lucius replied, wrapping his arm around her body when he brought her back inside. "I always loved coming here when I was a child."

The only problem Hermione had was that he didn't have a Christmas tree in the parlor. It had a huge fireplace, so Hermione knew it would look adorable fully decorated. After much pleading and begging, Lucius promised to take her the next day to find a tree.

When he lead her up to his room, Hermione was pleased to find another fireplace and huge, comfortable looking bed waiting for them. She changed into her pajamas - emerald green satin shorts and top, trimmed with white lace - and came out of the bathroom, nervous to see Lucius's reaction. It was her first time buy fancy pajamas, and she had bought them with him in mind.

"I must confess, I am pleased to have you completely to myself." He said from his place in bed. He'd lit a fire in the fireplace, and was reading something from work. He set his papers aside. "Especially when you look so fetching in Slytherin green."

Hermione blushed, but slid in next to him in bed, eager to get warmed up. "I am glad that you invited me. I would have been terribly alone without you." Hermione admitted. She pressed her head against his chest, and listened to the fireplace crackle and pop, before her eyes fell shut.

* * *

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she felt terribly embarrassed that she'd fallen asleep, when she'd had plans to break in this new bedroom with him. Lucius was running his hands through her curly hair. "I didn't mean to fall asleep. I wanted to give you an early present."

"Mm, I would still take that present now." His voice was still raspy from sleep and it sent a thrill of heat through Hermione's core.

Smiling, Hermione crawled up on top of Lucius, her center pressed tightly against his morning erection. Pulling her top over her head, she revealed her bare breasts to him, nipples tightening immediately to the cold, and her body covered in goosebumps. "What a lovely present you make, sweetheart."

Hermione sighed as his large hands came up to cup her breasts, kneading and squeezing them, rolling the points of her nipples. She rotated her hips against his, wanting a bit more friction.

Lucius, unpleased with the angle, pulled himself up, until he was seated upright, with his back resting against the pillows. From here, he was easily able to capture one of her nipples in his hot mouth, his tongue flicking against the bud.

She let her head fall back, but she really needed a bit more, as each suck of his lips had her core tightening in need. Reaching a hand between them, she grasped his cock, rubbing him up and down. It didn't hurt that her hand would brush against her clit each time.

"I need you in me." She told him, ardently. When she couldn't take it any longer, Hermione pulled away so that she could shimmy out of her bottoms, while Lucius did the same. Positioning herself above him, Hermione slid down inch after glorious inch filling her body. She thought that this way he seemed deeper somehow, and her clit pressed against his body with every thrust.

Soon, he was gripping her hips hard enough to cause bruises, but Hermione was too desperate for release to care. Pressing her face into his neck, she focused on the feeling in her throbbing cunt, pulsing around him in desire, again and again until she finally snapped, her body tensing in orgasm. It took Lucius only a few more deep thrusts before he was following her over the edge as well.

Hermione wasn't sure how long she'd laid there in his warm embrace, before she struggled to get away. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to spend the whole day romping about in this bed?" Lucius asked, unwilling to have her take her warmth away.

She smiled at him, but shook her head. "As tempting as that sounds, you promised me that we could go shopping for a tree today, and then I want to decorate it."

Reluctantly, Lucius let her leave, only to follow her into the shower so that they could begin their day together.

* * *

After the day had been spent out shopping, Hermione and Lucius returned to his parlor to decorate the room. Hermione had chosen a variety of Slytherin green and silver to decorate with, knowing that it would make Lucius happy, though she still had a few red and gold baubles up on the tree.

It was a magnificent tree, filling up the whole space, but certainly making it seem much more homey. It made Hermione's heart clench to think that perhaps, in a year's time or in two years that it could perhaps be her and Lucius's home that they shared together.

When their tryst had begun, Hermione had tried not to get too attached, thinking that he was fickle and likely to send her away. But he hadn't. If anything, he'd elevated this thing to a relationship, treating her like an actual girlfriend. Now, Hermione found herself wanting more.

They sat down for Christmas dinner, made by a Malfoy house elf (to Hermione's thinly veiled annoyance), of roast turkey, mashed potatoes, ginger carrots, and rolls, as well as a perfectly paired wine. Hermione had worn full dress robes, knowing that it made him especially happy to see her so dressed up (though, she also knew that he quite enjoyed watching her pfaff about in jeans).

It was so domestic, sitting at the formal table with him, and Hermione decided that now was probably the best time for her to broach the topic with her blond lover. "It's been so nice to be alone here with you, Lucius." Hermione said sweetly. "Though, I do wish that we could...take this...to the next level. I wish we didn't have to hide away in other countries."

Lucius pushed his empty plate away from him, eyebrows knitted together. "I am afraid I don't understand what you mean, Hermione."

"It's just, this feels so secretive." Hermione said, unable to meet his gaze. "I'm not embarrassed of you, and you're not embarrassed of me...well, it seems like we're hiding things. I want to be able to tell my friends about us. I want our relationship to be out in the open."

"Aren't you happy with me?" Lucius asked. He was very content with the state of their relationship and didn't want anything to rock the boat.

"Of course I am happy with you!" Hermione pleaded. "I just want us to have...well, a real relationship."

"It's difficult, Hermione." Lucius said, rubbing his hand over his face. "It wouldn't be a good idea to...go public, until the divorce is finalized. And I am working on it, I promise." He offered her his hand, which Hermione gladly took.

"I guess I will just have to wait then." Hermione said, feeling a bit down. She really just wanted to be able to talk about her love life like any other woman in her early twenties. She wanted to gossip about it with Daphne, and be able to tell her the real reason she was shopping for things. She wanted to rub it in Ron Weasley's face.

"Now, shall we go into the parlor and open your present?" Lucius asked her.

Hermione eagerly nodded. She was excited for Lucius to open his present as well, as she'd spent all of December agonizing over it. When they were sitting on the couch by the fireplace, Lucius accio'd her present, before handing her a long thin package.

Hermione eagerly tore into it, only to find a gorgeous emerald pendant necklace, nestled amongst the velvet. She gasped at the finery of it. "Oh, Lucius, I can't accept this. It's too much." Her fingers lovingly caressed the jewel at the center.

"It was my great grandmother's." Lucius said, before pulling the necklace from the box and moving behind her to clasp it around her neck. "I just wanted to make sure that you had something to show you how serious I am about this. How much I care about you."

She stared at the green stone between her breasts, all fears about his divorce proceedings evaporating. He cared about _her_. He was serious about _her._ Turning around in his arms, Hermione pressed her lips to his mouth in a fierce kiss, trying to put all of her emotion in that one embrace.

When she pulled away, Hermione eagerly led Lucius back to the couch and bounded off to the tree to pull out his gift. She'd spent a really long time thinking about what to get him, but now she was so worried that it wasn't at all what he'd like. Still, she placed the parcel in his hands and watched as he meticulously opened it, with baited breath.

Lucius gave her a small smile when he opened the luxe dragonhide briefcase. "It has an undetectable extension charm on it." Hermione said, biting her lower lip, looking for a bit more of a reaction from him.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Thank you, Hermione. I can't remember the last time I've received such a thoughtful gift." He ran his fingers along the fine stitching of the bag. "Normally people just send me firewhiskey."

Hermione felt her heart clench at his words, knowing the feeling. Usually people just got her books, and it sometimes seemed like they just tried to find the densest, most boring (to them) book to give her, and she'd gotten quite a few repeats. "This is the best Christmas that I've had in a long time." Hermione admitted.

A beat of silence passed between them, before Hermione leaned forward, eyes trained on his lips, and they met in a tangle of limbs and lips. Breaking their kiss, Lucius looked at her with a smirk. "You know what would just cap this as a perfect weekend?" He asked. "If you let me take you on that rug in front of the fire."

She giggled before nodding. "It seems a bit cliche, but...I won't say no." He pulled her towards the roaring fire, eager to get her out of the robes and to make love to her into the late hours of the night.

* * *

Hermione returned to work the following Monday. Even though many other departments got the week between Christmas and New Years off, anything dealing with economics was not that lucky. Still, Hermione was still floating on cloud nine, with all her memories of the weekend with Lucius distracting her.

She wore her emerald pendant, and found herself fiddling with it frequently. It was nice to look down and see it and be reminded of Lucius. It gave her something to hold onto with she could finally be open about her relationship with the older man.

Unfortunately for Hermione, she was not as good about keeping their tryst secret as she thought. Daphne noticed immediately that Hermione was acting differently and she certainly noticed the large emerald around her neck.

Unable to keep her concerns to herself, Daphne insisted sweetly that Hermione join her for lunch, under the guise of complaining about Draco having come to Christmas dinner with Astoria, and how annoying they were being about Daphne not following traditions. The horror of having a job.

After seeing Hermione fiddle with the necklace for the thousandth time, Daphne finally asked her about it. "That's a nice necklace. Present? I didn't know that emeralds were your type."

Hermione was unable to keep the blush from her face. "Yes, it was a present...for Christmas."

"It looks so much like the necklace owned by Lucinda Malfoy." Daphne stared at her friend. "I saw it at a revue once. Malfoy didn't give it to you did he?"

"Daphne!" Hermione gasped, perhaps a bit embarrassed to be caught out. "It's not like that."

Hermione was not as good at lying as a Slytherin, though, so Daphne was able to pinpoint immediately that she wasn't being truthful, and groaned. "Hermione. I thought you said you were going to leave it. How long has this been going on? I don't want you to get hurt."

"Honestly, Daphne, nothing is going on." Hermione said. "I won't get hurt...everything is going to be fine."

Daphne's green eyes furrowed in concern. "I just...you can tell me anything, if you want. When you want. But, I can't tell you what to do, I suppose."

Seeing how bothered Daphne was with her affair had worry churning in Hermione's stomach, thinking about her relationship. It was true that Lucius said he cared about her and was serious, but…

They were still sneaking around, and it wasn't a real relationship. She'd been so swept up in the romance, she'd rather gotten ahead of her morals. Hermione Granger wasn't like this, she didn't carry on affairs with married men, but, well...she trusted Lucius.

She just had to hope that the divorce would work out and then they could be together. Properly.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows and favorites! It means so much to me that y'all are enjoying it so much. If you follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour), you can keep up to date with stories and occasionally catch a sneak peak of future chapters! I have to be honest, I am incredibly nervous about posting this chapter! It's been on my mind all weekend. The shoe is about to drop...

Please let me know what you think of chapter seventeen, and be on the lookout for chapter eighteen soon!

* * *

 **December 31, 1999**

For once, Hermione was excited to attend a ministry party. She had a gorgeous silver dress that fit like a dream, and she actually had someone she could spend the night chatting away with. If things went well, she'd sneak a kiss at midnight, and then drag him home to her flat to ring in the New Year properly.

She went to the party with Daphne and Theo. It was fun to share a couple of cocktails with them at Daphne's flat before they left, so Hermione was already feeling a bit tingly all over. The pair was so cute together, it made Hermione's heart tighten. She wanted what they had.

When they first got to the party, they got a few drinks and stood around talking - more like shouting - over the loud music. A few people came up to chat with them, mostly Slytherins, but a few Ravenclaws too. They were all surprised to see Hermione Granger standing there, but none of them were hostile to her. The joy of a party washed away all the negative thoughts.

Astoria eventually came up to the table, and Hermione saw the change in Daphne's mood immediately, but couldn't contemplate it for long because she was soon distracted by Luna. "Hello Hermione Granger." Luna said serenely. "Have you met Rolf?"

"Rolf Scamander." The man put forth his hand, eager to shake it. Hermione didn't think that she had ever met the man before, but she wasn't opposed to meeting new people.

"Hermione Granger." She replied with a smile.

"Rolf and I have just been traveling through Sweden looking for crumple horned snorkacks." Luna said in that dreamy voice she always had. "And he's asked me to marry him." She added, almost has an after thought.

"Oh my goodness, Luna! Congratulations!" She said wrapping the younger girl in her arms tightly. "That's so wonderful." Hermione was happy that her friend was able to find happiness with someone who obviously shared similar interests. And, as a pair, they looked very well together. "It seems as though everyone is getting married now."

"Yes, I suppose it's the natural progression of things." Luna said, tilting her head to the side. "Though, I see that you have finally disentangled yourself from Ron. That was a good idea I think." Hermione knew that Ron and Romilda were at the party, so she was just hoping on avoiding a meeting with him.

Hermione gave Luna a tight smile. "Yes, though, I wish he and I could have parted on better terms." A beat of awkward silence passed between them. "Oh, I think I see Neville over there, Luna. We should get dinner and catch up soon." Hermione promised before leaving the couple.

She looked around the room and quickly found Daphne and Theo out on the dance floor, but they looked like they were having such a good time that she didn't want to intrude on their moment. Instead, she was really looking for one man in particular.

She knew that she would recognize that white blond hair anywhere, but so far she'd just had one false alarm when she caught sight of Draco out of the corner of her eye. She just knew that her night would be so much better once he would show up.

Spinning around once more in a circle, Hermione finally found him. She was positive it was him, dressed in resplendent green robes, hair pulled back tightly at his neck. But instead of sauntering over to where her lover was standing, Hermione remained rooted at the spot.

Horrified, Hermione couldn't help but notice the way his arm was wrapped tightly around Narcissa's waist, the way she was leaning against him, the way that they seemed so very much _together_. It was like a stab in the chest to see how well they matched one another, and just how close they really were to one another.

A sinking feeling filled Hermione's stomach, all of Lucius's promises and platitudes that he was going to divorce Narcissa coming up at once. She thought she might throw up when she realize...He'd been lying to her all of this time! And she'd been stupid enough to believe him. God, how could she have forgotten that this was Malfoy she was dealing with, evil, conniving Malfoy!

Needing to get out of there as quickly as possible so that she didn't make a scene, Hermione strode past him on the way out. She felt his blue gray eyes soaking in her silver clad form, but only sent him a hurt glare.

When she strode out of the room, powerfully, she'd hoped that he might come after her, try to stop her, but instead she was just left standing alone at the apparition point. The tears were flowing freely now, and Hermione just wanted to get home.

* * *

 **January 1, 2000**

It was sometime after midnight when Daphne firecalled Hermione's flat, her blonde head sticking through the fireplace. "Hermione? Are you okay?"

Hermione hadn't even made it to her bedroom to change out of her dress, preferring to just flop down on her couch in defeat when she made it home. She sat up, giving Daphne a clear view of her tear stained cheeks. "Yes, Daph, I'm alright."

Daphne gasped at the sight of her. "You most certainly are not alright! I am coming through." Hermione heard her speaking to Theo, letting him know that she would be back later, but not to wait up for her. When she came through the fire place, she immediately sat next to Hermione on the couch. "What happened to you? We looked all over for you during the countdown, but couldn't find you."

The thought of her failed countdown kiss only brought around a fresh round of tears. "I was long gone before that. I did something stupid Daphne." Hermione whispered, looking down at her hands in her lap. "I've been carrying on with Lucius, and well, he said he was going to divorce Narcissa and I believed him. But then I saw them tonight and they looked so happy together. It was all a lie."

"Oh Hermione." Daphne wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulders, letting her cry. Hermione was waiting for the inevitable I-told-you-so, which would come from Ginny, but it never left Daphne's mouth. "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. Tell me what happened from the beginning."

"It started when we went to Paris. And it never stopped, even when you warned me." Hermione said miserably, before filling Daphne in on each detail. All their dates, all the gifts, the way he'd consoled her about her parents, and even the vacation that they just spent together in Bruges. "He told me he cared for me. But it was obviously a lie."

Daphne held back from telling Hermione that it was logical that Lucius might care for both Narcissa and her. It wasn't worth the argument. "It will be fine Hermione, I promise." Daphne said, running her fingers through Hermione's "You will move on from Lucius. There are other wizards out there."

Hermione nodded, glad to have Daphne with her. It seemed that the other witch knew just what to say to make her feel better. Right now she was crushed, but she knew that she could get over him, eventually.

"You could even take a vacation if you wanted...that way, the next time you see Lucius, things won't be so raw." Hermione thought that that actually sounded like a pretty logical idea, but she was still too hurt to think logically.

"No, I don't want to seem like a scorned woman." Hermione said resolutely.

"No one but Lucius and I will know the reason why you are on vacation." Daphne promised. Lots of people took vacations in the winter to warm beaches. "I know a great place off the coast of Italy, and Blaise could recommend all kinds of sightseeing."

The offer was tempting, Hermione thought, but she still couldn't concede. "No, I don't want to give him that power over me." She insisted. "I don't want him to think that he can toy with my feelings like this."

Daphne smiled at the brave Gryffindor girl. This was when her house sensibilities really shined through. "Alright, well, let's get you tucked in bed." The taller girl shooed her heartbroken friend into the bathroom so she could take off her makeup and brush her teeth. Once Hermione was in some sensible flannel pajamas, Daphne tucked her into bed. "Sleep well, Hermione."

Hermione nodded, thankful that she had made friends with Daphne Greengrass. She couldn't remember a single time when Harry, Ron or Ginny had been there for her like this. Harry was okay, but he was much too awkward with female emotions to offer much support.

After she heard Daphne leave through the fireplace, Hermione picked up her wand, changing the wards so that no one could get through. She didn't want any unexpected visitors tomorrow, and she especially didn't want Lucius to show up.

No, Hermione wouldn't let him have her any power over her any longer.

* * *

A loud pounding on the door to her flat woke Hermione up the next morning. Rolling over, she saw that the clock read half past eight. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was glad Daphne had made her wash her face. At least now she didn't look like she'd been up all night crying. She opened the door a crack, spying silver blond hair.

"Lucius." She said without emotion, "What are you doing here?"

"What am I...Hermione we need to talk about last night." He said imperiously. "Won't you please let me in so that we do not need to share this conversation with your neighbors?"

Hermione bit her lower lip, considering his words before letting him in, reluctantly. He sat on her couch as though he owned the place, but Hermione didn't offer him tea. "What do you want?" She asked, trying to remain as unemotional as possible.

"Why did you adjust your wards? I tried to get in this morning, but couldn't make it through." He explained.

The question made Hermione's anger begin to bubble up under the surface. "You know why, Lucius. We both know that I saw you last night with Narcissa. And I don't appreciate being lied to." She was deadly serious.

"What you saw is only an act, put on to show that our marriage is still what it once was. We were only there together because it is _expected_ of us." Lucius explained, desperately, his hand reaching out to touch Hermione's. She knocked it away.

"But your marriage _isn't_ what it once was. You told me that you were getting a divorce." Hermione hissed. "And you and Narcissa seemed a little bit too close for it just to be an act. I know what I saw." She crossed her arms over her chest like armor.

"Hermione." Lucius said softly, cupping her cheek. "You know it's more difficult than that. But...I love you, I want to be with you."

His words shocked her to the core. If he'd said them to her twelve hours prior, she would have been over the moon excited. She would have told him that she loved him too. But, that love was choked out like a plant with a weed as soon as she saw his hand resting just above Narcissa's arse. She didn't know why he insisted that his divorce was in any way difficult.

"Don't say that." Hermione choked back some tears. "You don't love me, because if you did, you wouldn't be doing this to me. I want a real boyfriend that I can tell my friends about. I want someone who could be my husband. I want a family, Lucius. And you can't give me that if I'm your mistress." Finally putting that word on her position in their relationship struck her to the core. She was the other woman this whole time. It was a difficult thought to face.

"I want that with you, too, Hermione." He said, but it wasn't very convincing to her ears. "But it's a bit more difficult than all that. If it was in my power, I would do it for you."

"Why can't you just get a divorce, Lucius? What have you been doing all these months when you told me that you were working on it?" Hermione had to know, how he'd been stringing her along for weeks.

His voice failed him, momentarily, but then he spoke again, unable to meet her unwavering gaze. "I've asked Narcissa for the divorce, but she won't agree to it." He said finally.

"Why can't you just begin the proceedings? She will have to respond, and the Wizengamot would dissolve your bond." Hermione didn't understand why this was so difficult. She knew that other divorces were obtained all the time.

"Well, _I_ can't be the one who begins the proceedings. Only Narcissa can begin the proceedings, or it would ruin her reputation. You see, the requesting party is typically the wronged party, and it would cause unpleasant questions if I were to file." Lucius said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hermione closed her eyes, feeling tears begin to form. She was annoyed with herself. She thought that she would have better control over her emotions. That she could act strong in front of him. "What about my reputation, Lucius? What about my life? Did you give me _any_ consideration in your dealings?"

The surprised look on his face lead Hermione to believe that he had not actually thought about her reputation at all. It was only a matter of time before they were caught by someone. Really, they were lucky that they hadn't been caught so far.

Shaking her head in disbelief at the man who claimed to love her, Hermione wanted him to leave. "We can't continue this. I am only going to get hurt. There is no point in continuing on if you are unwilling to give me the future that I want."

Lucius looked like he wanted to say something else, but one look at her glare had him changing his tune. He stood, reluctantly, and made his way to the door of her flat. Unable to say goodbye to her, he slammed the door on his way out, leaving Hermione alone with her thoughts.

She was proud that she'd stood her ground with him, but she still felt that she'd lost.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! Glad you are proud of Hermione for standing up for herself. This (obviously, from the first chapter) isn't the last we will hear of him though.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter eighteen and be on the lookout for chapter nineteen soon!

* * *

 **February, 2000**

In the weeks since Hermione had broken off her ill advised relationship with Lucius, she'd made herself as busy as possible, but she still hadn't been able to get over it. She always arrived at her desk right on time, and always left to walk to the apparition point with Daphne when work was over. She didn't want to give him a chance to approach her while she was alone.

Hermione wanted to be strong, but she knew that Lucius was slick. She didn't want to get sucked back in with his promises and sweet words. Still, she hadn't been able to get rid of the emerald pendant, and it sat on her dresser in her bedroom, glinting at her expectantly.

She knew that she should return it, but something was making her hold onto it.

In her evenings and during the weekends, she spent as much time as she could with her friends. She had a standing dinner with Luna and Rolf once a week, which was refreshing and always made her laugh. Rolf was quite shy, but eager to learn about Luna's friends. He was a Hufflepuff who'd already graduated by the time that Hermione had started at Hogwarts.

Daphne took her to regular happy hours, sometimes just the two of them and sometimes with her other Slytherin friends. Theo was always so nice to her, but Hermione got the impression that Millicent Bulstrode and Blaise Zabini were never very pleased to have to deal with an annoying Gryffindor. Millie also always stared at her like she was imagining snapping Hermione like a twig.

Daphne had tried to set her up on a few more blind dates, but eventually Hermione had to shut her down. She knew that Daphne was just trying to help her get over Lucius, but she wasn't really ready to get back in the dating scene, after her last two relationships had been such epic failures.

As for Cassius...Hermione saw him whenever he came back to London for a Quidditch match, which happened often, but sporadically. It was nice getting to know him better, but the two of them were firmly friends, always splitting the check for dinner and never doing anything more intimate than a fierce hug goodbye, and perhaps a kiss on the cheek if Hermione had had too much to drink.

Hermione had even taken to spending time with Harry and Ginny, provided that Ron wasn't around. They'd had her over once and Hermione had had them around to her flat as well for dinner. It was pleasant, but still strained, and mostly spent discussing their upcoming nuptials. Ginny had asked Hermione to be one of her bridesmaids, and she'd accepted.

She split her lunch times between Daphne and Harry, not leaving any time for her to be pulled into lunch meetings with Lucius. She was trying so hard to just ignore the blond man, but he was harder to forget than she'd like to admit. It was odd. Previously, she'd been trying to avoid her friends by spending time with Lucius, and now she was in the exact opposite situation.

He was trying to wiggle his way back into her good graces, no matter how frosty the reception that he got. Last week, he'd given her approval to go to Bulgaria - finally - in what Hermione thought was a peace offering. Little did he know, she planned on staying with her old friend Viktor Krum. She spoke about it loudly in the office once her trip had been approved, and did take a little delight in seeing his neck turn a bit red.

It would take time, but Hermione was sure that she would be able to move on from Lucius eventually.

* * *

"I just can't believe her." Daphne said for the third time since they'd sat down together for their lunch at the cafe in muggle London just outside of the Ministry. It had taken some cajoling one Hermione's part to get Daphne to venture out with the muggles, but it quickly became a favorite to the pair.

"Did she say why?" Hermione asked, a bit interested. "She's not pregnant is she?" Astoria had moved her wedding to Draco up over the Easter holiday, and it had made Daphne spitting mad for some reason.

"Oh, no! Daddy would kill Draco, Malfoy or not." She said solemnly, flipping her dark blonde hair over her shoulder. Hermione giggled at that. Those purebloods had such firm values on somethings it seemed, and then were highly lax about others. "Apparently Aster Fawcett announced that she was going to get married the Saturday after graduation."

Hermione scrunched her nose up in confusion. "So why would she move her wedding up then? What does it have to do with Aster Fawcett or anyone else, really?"

Daphne rolled her eyes, completely annoyed with her sister. "They have some kind of rivalry going, what with their names being so close. And Astoria can't abide by anyone in her class getting married before her, especially not Aster. So...Easter holidays it is."

Stabbing a bit of lettuce with her fork, Hermione had to agree with her friend that Astoria's reasoning was ridiculous. She was acting like a spoiled little brat, and if it were Hermione's own parents, they never would agree to moving the wedding after everything had been sorted. "So, what will she do once she's married? Go back to school."

"Well, that's just it, isn't it?" Daphne replied. "Astoria isn't going back to school after Easter, she's going to drop out. She won't even be sitting for her NEWTs! It's completely ridiculous, even for a society wife. I mean...she's worked very hard up until this point to get good grades. Mother doesn't think they are necessary, though, and so they aren't pushing it."

Hermione gasped. "I couldn't imagine not taking my NEWTs!" What would happen to Astoria if she separated from Draco? Wouldn't she need money to support herself and any children that she might have?

"Well, whatever princess wants." Daphne said, looking quite sad and upset. "She's the perfect one who follows orders, not the fuck up like me, who can't just fall in line and marry who they've picked for me."

Reaching across the table, Hermione squeezed Daphne's hand tightly, feeling quite sorry for her friend. Though Hermione thought that Daphne had made the right decision, she knew that the other girl's family were quite good about rubbing in the fact that they didn't approve of Daphne's choices one bit, and it did really affect her. "You aren't a fuck up, Daph. And you're parents should be over the moon to have Theo has a son-in-law."

Daphne sniffed and laughed at her friend's words. "Yeah, I just wish that they could see how ridiculous they are being, after all. I mean, Theo checks all their boxes, but he checks my boxes as well, and we love each other. It's as if they want me to be unhappy."

"I am sure they don't want you to be unhappy." Hermione consoled her, though she wasn't entirely sure that was true. "They just had a future envisioned for you, and well...things change. Give them time. I am sure it will get better."

Hermione swallowed the thick lump in her throat, thinking that her advice hadn't really worked for herself so far.

* * *

 **March, 2000**

Cassius met her at an Italian restuarant not far from her flat, wrapping her up in a tight hug. "Hey, you. I missed you last week." He'd been there the week before, but had been informed by Daphne that the witch was traveling. "Daphne said you were traveling."

Once they were fully seated down, Hermione nodded. "Yes, I was in Bulgaria for a trade deal and then I spent the weekend with Viktor." It had been so lovely to see her old friend again. He was happily dating a very nice, but very posh Bulgarian witch, so there was no lingering feelings between them. It didn't stop Hermione from thinking what if, though, while she was there.

"Viktor?" Cassius asked, before realizing who it was. He'd been a sixth year when the Triwizard's Tournament had taken place, so he knew all about the relationship between Hermione and Krum. "Krum...of course. Are you two…?" He tried to ask delicately.

Hermione's cheeks were bright red, but she shook her head no. "No, Viktor and I are just friends. I actually got to meet his new girlfriend while I was there, but it was just great to catch up with him while I was there." Desperate to get the topic of conversation off of her love life, she asked about how his Quidditch match the previous weekend had gone.

Cassius launched into an animated, but blessedly short description of the game. He knew that Hermione only asked out of politeness, and really only needed the highlights of the game. It was the same way that she left all the details of her day to day work out of their conversations. "So, did you hear that Malfoy moved up his wedding date?" He asked casually.

"Yes, Daphne was quite annoyed that Astoria is dropping out of Hogwarts." Hermione said primly, still on the same side as her friend.

"Well, I was wondering...if maybe you'd...if you'd like to go with me to the wedding." He stumbled over his words completely, nervous for her reaction.

"Oh, Cassius...I thought we were on the same page, but...I just don't feel _that way_ for you." She told him, her brown eyes staring at him with so much remorse. Hermione really did wish that she could like Cassius that way at times like these.

It was his turn for his cheeks to go bright red. He'd been so nervous that she'd misconstrue his words, and then that exact scenario had come true. "No, no! I don't...just as friends. I had another date for the wedding when it was in June, but well, she won't be available for Easter." It was a bit embarrassing to tell a witch she was your second choice.

"Not even for the wedding of the century?" Hermione teased playfully, all tension evaporating from her shoulders, glad that he wasn't trying to make something more out of their relationship. "I'd be delighted to attend the wedding with you. As friends."

"Great - owl me the color of your dress, so that I can dress to match." Cassius said with glee. While he didn't have any romantic designs on Hermione Granger, he couldn't pretend that showing up with the brightest witch of her age wasn't a huge ego booster.

Hermione, on the other hand, was wondering just what she'd signed up for. What was she thinking agreeing to go to a party where she'd see Lucius again, especially as he'd be with Narcissa? Hopefully, he'd be much too busy to even notice she was there, and she could rely on Cassius and Theo to distract her.

* * *

 **April, 2000**

When she'd first told Harry and Ginny that she was going to the Malfoy wedding with Cassius, they'd been shocked. "That's pretty serious, isn't it Mione? I mean, taking your girlfriend to a wedding is a big step." Harry had asked, obviously concerned, because he still hadn't met Warrington officially.

Hermione tried to tell them that Cassius wasn't her boyfriend, but they weren't having any of it. Ginny immediately asked to help her pick out a dress, which Hermione knew was a combination of wanting to spend time with her friend, annoyance that Hermione was always shopping with Daphne, and jealousy that she hadn't been invited to the wedding of the century. Hermione had agreed.

"What do you think about this one?" Ginny asked, holding up a green dress so that Hermione could look it over. Hermione had pretty much gotten over the fact that Ginny was never going to apologize for what happened with Ron, and wanted to salvage the relationship as much as possible, which was why she was standing here trying on dresses for the Malfoy wedding.

Hermione shook her head, not wanting anything to do with the color green. "I don't think that green is really my color." She told Ginny, knowing that Lucius loved seeing her dress in his house colors, and she didn't want to do anything to suggest that she was dressing up for him. "What do you think about this?" Hermione held up a red satin gown that went all the way to the floor.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know, don't you think that's a bit covered up for a spring wedding?" Seeing Hermione's disappointment, Ginny was quick to compliment her. "But that shade of red looks so gorgeous on you. I think that's your color."

The two Gryffindor girls went through the racks, pulling some dresses for Hermione to try on, and some for Ginny as well, Ginny chatting the whole time about how she didn't think Ron and Romilda were going to last much longer. Finally, it was time to try them on. She tried on Ginny's choice first, before stepping out of the changing cubicle.

"Wow, you look hot." Ginny said. The red dress was lace and quite see through in certain places, but covered up the essential bits. Still, Hermione really thought it was much too tight and much too short for a wedding.

"I don't know, Gin. I don't think it's really appropriate for a wedding." Ginny agreed, though still argued she should get it for a hot date some time. Hermione wished that she had Daphne here with her. The blonde would be able to tell her right away if it was tacky or just right.

In the end, the pair of girls decided on a sleeveless dress, with a tight bodice that showed off Hermione's tiny waist, before flaring out in large pleats. The skirt was short, but Hermione thought it looked nice on her, and it showed off her legs, which Ginny thought was a must. Hermione had already decided to pair it with nude leather heels.

Briefly, Hermione wondered what Lucius would think of her showing up in this dress, showing her Gryffindor pride to the world. It was somewhat of a coup to show up in a den of snakes dressed in quite such a bold red color.

In the end, Hermione tried to push from her mind any agonizing over what he might think of her.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Huge thank you to everyone who reivewed, favorited or followed after last chapter. Guess who's back!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter nineteen and be on the lookout for chapter twenty soon - only five chapters to go!

* * *

 **April, 2000**

The days leading up to Draco and Astoria's wedding had done nothing but fill Hermione up with dread. She'd never even been to one of these society weddings before, so she was dreadfully worried about making some kind of faux pas, embarrassing not only herself, but Cassius as well.

To top that off, she wasn't looking forward to seeing Lucius with Narcissa again, especially when they were putting on a show of what a happy little family they made with Draco and their new, perfect daughter-in-law. This wedding just symbolized that she still wasn't really welcome in this part of wizarding society. She was sure that she would be the only muggleborn there, if not the first muggleborn ever in attendance at a Malfoy wedding.

She'd spent the day getting ready in her flat, desperately wishing that she had Daphne to help her get ready. Hermione knew that Daphne was already in her own personal hell, getting ready with Astoria and their mother. At least she'd gotten approval from the tall blonde that her dress was appropriate for the wedding.

Hermione had a long soak in the tub, before washing her hair. She spent an inordinate amount of time taming her hair, using all kinds of Sleek-Eazy's to smooth out any extra frizziness, leaving her hair in sleek voluminous waves. Really, she hoped that Cassius appreciated the amount of effort she was putting into her appearance, just to make sure that she didn't embarrass him.

Once she'd put on her makeup, Hermione was very worried that she looked overly done up, as she wasn't used to wearing quite so much. Still, she thought it made her look quite grown up, like a confident, young professional woman. She just hoped that the rest of the wedding guests didn't think that she looked like a clown.

Cassius arrived to Hermione's flat right on time, which was a blessing because Hermione was sure if she had to wait even five minutes after getting ready, she would have gone back and tried to change her outfit or hair or makeup. When she opened the door, Cassius had been positively gobsmacked, which mad Hermione terribly nervous. "Do I look okay?"

"Do you...wow, Hermione." Cassius said, regaining his composure. "You look amazing. All of the other girls at the wedding are going to be annoyed by how good you look." He promised before bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek in greeting. "Are you ready to go?"

Hermione nodded, taking his offered arm so that they could side-along apparate to Malfoy Manor. The building looked completely different from the last time she'd seen it. They were lucky to have an early spring. Everything in the garden looked green and lush.

Cassius walked them over to where the chairs were set up and got them a seat on the groom's side. Hermione looked around, her heart aching. Oh, everything about this wedding was just so perfect. It was classic and elegant. The decorations just exuded wealth and class, but it wasn't gauche or obnoxious, rather understated. It was perfect.

Hermione watched as Draco walked his mother down the aisle, seating her in the front row. Narcissa Malfoy looked perfect as always. She was practically glowing, radiating with pride for her son. Her long blonde hair was artfully pinned up, showing stunning cheekbones and perfect nose, and long slender neck. Hermione was sure that she was the fantasy of many a man, young and old.

It was difficult to see Lucius grab Narcissa's hand and give it a squeeze. Even from her location, Hermione could see the meaningful look that the pair of blonds shared and it made her heart clench in jealousy. Shaking her head, Hermione turned to focus on the ceremony.

The only wizarding marriage ceremony that she'd been to had been Bill and Fleur's before the war began, and you could just tell that the Malfoy ceremony was more traditional. Astoria looked beautiful, and she was obviously completely enamored with Draco. Her former classmate was more difficult to read.

In the blink of an eye, the ceremony was over, and Cassius and Hermione moved to dinner. They were seated with Theo and a few other Slytherins that Hermione wasn't familiar with. She felt a bit like the odd man out, though the two cousins tried to keep her included. While she was looking around the party, though, she made eye contact with Lucius.

He was practically glaring at her, or more specifically, the hand that Cassius had casually draped around her shoulders. It was the first time that she'd seen his eyes have so much fire in their depths, until she remembered just how jealous he'd been when she'd first gone on a date with Cassius.

Before she could feel guilty, though, she pushed away concerns about Lucius's feelings. He'd made his choice clear in regards to their relationship, and she was free to see whomever she so liked. Pushing her chair back, she smiled down at Warrington. "Alright, Cassius. You invited me to this party, so that means you have to dance with me." She said cheekily.

Cassius was eager to get out on the dance floor as well, taking her by the hand and leading her towards the band. He was a very good dancer, but then again, so was Hermione, so she knew that they were catching some attention. Still, she couldn't shake the feel of Lucius's eyes following every step that she took.

* * *

Many dances and several drinks later, Hermione was holding onto Cassius, having a wonderful time. "I'll be right back, I just have to run to the ladies." Hermione whispered in his ear, before turning away from the dance floor, towards the corridor that held the bathrooms.

Once she'd put thoughts of Lucius out of her mind, she was actually having a very good time, dancing the night away. She'd even spoken briefly with Draco, who'd seemed surprised to see her there, but who had been surprisingly pleasant.

On her way back from the bathroom, she was pulled into a little alcove, tastefully hidden by a large plant. "What the hell do you think you are doing here?" Lucius hissed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hermione gulped, not expecting her former lover to confront her this way. "Cassius invited me to come with and I accepted." She said, gathering her courage. She had every right to be here at the party that she was invited to, especially with no one the wiser about their previous tryst.

"Are you just trying to make me jealous then?" He demanded, pressing his body against her's, her back pressed against the cool stone of the wall. Hermione could already feel the beginnings of an erection pressing into her belly, and gasped.

"That was not my intention." She said quickly, heat rapidly pooling in her stomach. Oh, she had forgotten what it was like to be fully in the attentions of Lucius Malfoy. It wasn't her intention, she'd wanted to pretty much avoid him forever, but somehow she'd showed up.

"It's working." Lucius said, before kissing her viciously, his tongue thrust between her lips to tangle with her's violently. Each twist and touch had Hermione moaning low in her throat, her legs clenched together in need of friction.

Hermione dug her fingers into his long, silky hair, unwilling to let him go. Lucius broke their kiss before kissing down her neck and up to her ear. Each kiss felt like a bite and Hermione was sure that her neck would be littered with purple red bruises, but oh wasn't this amazing. She was completely swept away by passion. She'd missed him.

He trailed his hands down her sides, before slipping under the skirt of her dress. One hand squeezed her arse while the other hand pushed her panties aside. His fingertip glided between the folds of her sex, easily aided by her wetness. Lucius hissed at the sensation. "You've missed me." He said confidently. "You ache for me."

Hermione was unsure if he was taunting her, but she knew that he was right. Hermione sighed at the feeling of one of this long fingers entering her sopping channel, his thumb manipulating the bud at the top of her sex. He knew just what she needed to be sent right to the edge of orgasm. With his other hand supporting her weight, Hermione rocked her hips back and forth, desperate for more, her own hands working the zip of Lucius's trousers.

Merlin, she needed him inside of her. By the time that she was close, she had his cock in her hand and was stroking him up and down. How she'd missed the feeling of him - so hard, yet so velvety soft. She needed him inside her.

One more circle of his thumb and Hermione was sent over the edge, her face buried in his neck, a breathy whine that was unable to be kept silent. He didn't give her any time to recover, instead thrusting inside her immediately.

Hermione hadn't realized just how deeply she'd missed Lucius until this moment, but it was undeniable that they had a deep connection. She knew that he was still jealous and was trying to prove just how much better he was then Cassius, by the passionate movements he made, sending her body bouncing against the wall, but she didn't care. She loved having him inside her, and she already felt herself close to coming again. "Please, Lucius." She whispered, her eyes clenched together, completely concentrating on the feeling.

She felt his thumb seek out her clit again, and it barely took one touch before she was sent reeling, her body tightening around his intrusion. "Open your eyes." He said savagely. "I want to see you look at me while I am fucking you." When Hermione opened her eyes, she nearly gasped at the savage intensity of his face. His pupils were completely blown, with the thinnest ring of silver around them. "Does he fuck you like this?" He demanded.

Hermione shook her head fiercely, unable to lie to him. "No, no. No one but you." She squealed feeling his thumb renew it's torture of her, pushing her to the edge once more. She didn't think that she'd ever felt this sensitive before. The cold stone of the wall against her back, the ends of Lucius's long hair, the heat trapped between their bodies. Each sensation sent her reeling.

He pressed his lips against hers fiercely, needed to possess every ounce of her, rutting against her wildly. It was clear that he was just as close to ultimate pleasure as she was. Breaking his lips away, he pressed his face near her ear, whispering filthy things to her, making her shiver with desire. "Come for me, witch, and only me. Come for me one more time."

She went rigid in his arms before coming with a moan, her pussy fluttering wildly around him, making him spill himself into her as well. He held her there for a while, obviously not wanting to let her go, while the reality of what she'd just done washed over her.

She'd fucked Lucius Malfoy at his own son's wedding, while his wife was not far away, and she had her own date. She knew that she probably looked thoroughly debauched when he set her down, based on the smirk on his face. With one look, she could practically feel the ownership in his gaze.

Thankful for her long hair to cover the love bites that she was sure littered her neck, Hermione shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. What was it about this man that made her so powerless to resist. "I can't do this any more, Lucius." She whined.

"I can't let you go." He countered, honestly. He looked pained, and for once, Hermione could believe that their separation had hurt him as much as it did her. But, if she truly mattered to him, Hermione knew that he would do something about his so called non-relationship with Narcissa.

She couldn't respond to his words, so she instead just gave him a meek smile, bittersweet, before shaking her head and leaving the alcove. Hermione needed to go home. She couldn't stay at this party any longer with the knowledge of what she'd just done.

Lucius didn't try to catch her, letting her return to Cassius without incident. "I'm not feeling very well. I think I am going to go home." She told him.

His blue eyes swept over her face, and Hermione was left with a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what she'd done. His understanding look made her feel even more horrible. "Do you want me to take you back?" He asked, sweetly.

"No, you stay and enjoy yourself." She told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you so much for inviting me. I had a lovely time."

Cassius squeezed her hand. "I hope you feel better, Hermione." And with that, he let her walk away without incident.

She needed to get home so she wouldn't feel the weight of those gray eyes following her every move.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone you reviewed, favorited and followed after last chapter! I know some of you were upset that Hermione gave in so easily, but I promise it is almost over. This story contains some are adult moments...I did not intend this story to contain so many, but then again it is a story about an affair. After this chapter, we are caught up the to first chapter, so you might want to go back and read that one after this one.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-one soon!

* * *

 **April, 2000**

Hermione hated the way that all of her hard work, each inch hard earned over the past four months, could be completely destroyed in an instant. She knew that the moment that Lucius had kissed her in that alcove, that she was lost to him.

All of her feelings and thoughts about the blond man came swirling back. She wanted to hate him, really she did, but she found that it was impossible when all of her memories of their time together were still so fond.

She knew that she should hate him because he chose another woman, a woman he admitted to hating, over her because of the nebulous idea of a reputation. She knew that she should hate him because he couldn't let her go, couldn't lead her on.

She knew that she should hate herself because one touch was all it took to have her pinning after him, longing for just one more kiss or one more look, but she couldn't let it go either, despite her best efforts.

Harry, though very wrapped up in the break up between Ron and Romilda, was perceptive enough to notice the change in her demeanor. When he pressed for details, Hermione came close to telling him everything, only to hold back. If he thought that she was having trouble with Cassius, she wouldn't elaborate. She couldn't imagine what he'd think about if he knew the real Slytherin that she was pining over.

Daphne was more perceptive, noting that Lucius and Hermione had been nowhere to be found for some time during the wedding. Apparently, even Draco had noticed, which mortified her. Hermione tried to tell Daphne that nothing had happened, but her excuses sounded lame even to her. "I'll be here for you when you are ready to tell me the truth." Daphne told her, squeezing her hand.

For her part, Hermione tried to ignore Lucius at work, but he was more persistent now that he knew he could break her down. It didn't take long for him to get her alone, calling her into his office to discuss bronze futures.

He was very professional during their discussion, and Hermione felt her defenses coming down, hoping that he had gotten her hint, only to be shocked when he warded the door, pressing her against his desk and pressing against her. "How I've longed to get you alone again." He told her, his fingers playing with the lines of her collarbones.

Hermione tried to break free of his hold. "Lucius, we can't do this." She protested weakly, her stomach tight with the possibility of more amorous actions.

"Don't you understand? I want to be with you. Why won't you just let me have this? We both want it." Hermione was surprised by the pleading tone in his voice. Just by his words, one would think he was just talking about the sex, but Hermione could tell that he meant the whole relationship.

"It's not right, Lucius. I can't be with you while you are with Narcissa. It's not fair to me." She fended off a kiss by turning her head, tears already forming in her eyes. "I want a wedding, I want a family, and I am not going to get that with you."

"But I love you." He told her, desparate. "Please, Hermione, I love you."

Hermione stiffened, hearing his words. She wished that she could believe him, but it was impossible that he loved her while putting her through all this pain. Was it just empty words designed to trick her into falling back into his bed? She refused to be manipulated by this man a second, third time.

It hurt because she realized now just how much she loved Lucius back. He was romantic, thoughtful when he wanted to be, remembered things about her, and asked her about things that interested her. He believed in her. He wanted her to succeed. And, she couldn't deny that they shared a deep physical connection.

Hermione twisted her body out of his grasp. "It's not fair to me. I am not going to change my mind about this." She insisted, but already she felt her resolve failing her. She just always seemed to give in with him. He was so stubborn about their relationship, it seemed that he could just roll over her desires.

She wondered what he really thought of when he saw her. Did he think she was a weak little fawn, just waiting to be taken advantage of? Had he convinced himself that he did love her truly? Was his concept of love warped?

Tired of him not playing fair with her, she pulled down the wards keeping visitors out of his office, before turning and heading back to her desk, her thoughts confused.

* * *

 **May, 2000**

Two weeks after Lucius had told her that he wanted to be with her, Hermione realized that she'd slipped back into a relationship with the blond man. It had started slowly, with him speaking to her throughout the day, making her laugh despite her best efforts.

After they closed a big deal, the whole office went out for drinks, and he'd spent the evening sending her smoldering glances, his fingers brushing over hers when he offered her another cocktail. She knew that her desire was quickly growing, and she was liable to have a whole blaze on her hands if she wasn't careful.

It wasn't until a work meeting though that the wildfire had ignited and sent her reeling. During her time at the Ministry, Hermione learned that it was not unusual to have dinner meetings, as many of the other countries liked to be wined and dined before they would agree to any kind of contract. She'd only gone to one before, as they were usually attended with spouses, and Hermione got the impression that they didn't like any single young witches to compete with wives for the men's attentions. Not that she would do that anyway.

She dressed up nicely for the dinner with the trade wizards from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, excited to get to participate again, especially because she was so fascinated with those countries. They had a very delicate relationship with Russia, so all of the trade agreements required special attention.

What she hadn't been expecting was to be the only single witch at the dinner, leaving her and Lucius as the odd pair out. Hermione bristled momentarily, only to graciously sit down when the tall wizard pulled out her chair for her. In the back of her mind, she wondered why he hadn't brought Narcissa. Surely these other wizards would be more impressed with his stately wife.

When it was time to order dinner, Lucius leaned over to whisper in her ear some dishes he thought that she might enjoy. The feeling of his hot breath on her ear made her shiver with desire. She purposefully picked something he hadn't suggested, just to annoy him, but if anything it seemed to amuse him.

During the conversation, Lucius seemed to keep in constant contact with her, touching her leg under the table, or brushing her hand with his when he reached for his glass or the salt. All it did was ensure that her focus was completely on him. "Your earrings are especially lovely, Miss Granger." The wife of the Estonian Trade Minister said, startling her.

"Thank you. They were a gift." Hermione said quietly, annoyed that she was only just remembering that they were a gift from Lucius. She hadn't touched the necklace he'd given her since Christmas, but she did wear the diamond earrings on nights out. Perhaps there was some subliminal reason that she'd chosen to wear them tonight.

"Are they from Russia?" The woman asked, unaware of her discomfort.

"Um...I am not sure." Hermione said softly, refusing to look to Lucius to see where they were from. To her mortification, he replied anyway.

"The diamonds are from Czechoslovakia, actually." Lucius said, not missing the appraising smiles from the other wizards at the table. It was plain for all to see the sexual tension between the young witch and Malfoy.

Hermione, desperate to get the conversation onto other topics, snapped at Lucius. "Czechoslovakia has been dissolved for nearly a decade, Lucius."

He rewarded her with that sharklike grin he was so fond of whenever he was right. "Yes, but when the diamonds were mined, it was still Czechoslovakia." He squeezed her leg under the table, before letting his fingers trail up her inner thigh, causing her breath to hitch.

Sufficiently cowed, Hermione bit her lower lip trying to regain control of her emotions while the wizards talked about anything but trade deals. In the blink of an eye, the dinner was completed and they'd accomplished absolutely nothing, leaving Hermione feeling foolish for having gone at all. "Won't you make sure that the delightful Miss Granger gets home safely?" The short Latvian wizard asked Malfoy.

Malfoy was already helping Hermione into her coat, and tucking her arm into his. "Yes, of course I will." He lead her away from the restaurant, which was not far from her flat.

Once they were out of sight of the other wizards, Hermione spoke. "You don't need to walk me home." She said, knowing that she could take care of herself, and not trusting herself alone with the delectable wizard.

"And miss the chance of a goodnight kiss?" Lucius asked, with a smirk. "Absolutely not." Belatedly, Hermione realized that they were walking along Diagon Alley in clear view of anyone who cared to take a picture. They were finally out in the open. Her heart fluttered, wishing someone would just tell Narcissa of his infidelity so that she would give him the divorce.

Before she knew it, they were standing in front of her flat. Dinner had been just like old times, Hermione thought, and it had stirred up a lot of feelings. Not to mention being so close to him all night, all his little touches had her body longing for a more intimate touch.

She didn't even hesitate to reach up to him, pressing her lips against his in a fierce kiss, desire in her belly pooling like liquid fire. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her against him tightly. Just when things were going too far, Hermione pulled away, a bright blush on her cheeks. "Goodnight, Lucius."

* * *

 **June, 2000**

"Miss Granger, could you step into my office?" Lucius called from his desk one Friday. Hermione stiffened momentarily, noticing Lucian Bole staring at her rather oddly. Setting down her quill, Hermione stood and walked into his office, shutting the door behind her.

"You asked to see me?" Hermione asked, feeling nervous. It was true that they'd grown more intimate, but each encounter always left Hermione feeling utterly conflicted.

Waving his wand, Lucius put up silencing and locking spells on the door. "Please, come here and sit on my desk." Lucius said from his spot in his chair.

Hermione immediately blushed. "We can't do that here, Lucius, there are too many people." Truthfully there were many more reasons why they couldn't do it at all.

"Nonsense. Do you not trust my spellwork?" He asked. Hermione kept silent. He patted the spot on the desk in front of him. "Come on. Up here now. I have a special treat for you."

His words immediately sent Hermione's thoughts into overdrive and she was walking on autopilot, hopping up onto the desk, her legs spread to accommodate his legs between them. Her breath hitched feeling his big hands running up the skin of her thighs, sliding under her skirt, before grabbing the edge of her knickers, pulling them down. Hermione shifted to help him remove them.

Standing from the chair, Lucius kissed her, his tongue tangling sensuously with hers, slowly pushing her back until she was leaning on the papers he'd been reviewing. Hermione felt herself getting so wet, anticipating his every move.

His hands pushed her skirt up around her hips so that she was completely bare to his gaze. "I've missed this." He said before sitting back in the chair heavily, pulling her to the very edge of the desk.

The first touch of his tongue to her sex had her gasping for air. He wasn't tentative, seeming to know just what touch she needed, whether it was flicking back and forth or soft taps of his tongue against her clit. When his fingers entered her, Hermione was unable to help herself. Propping herself up on her elbows, she caught a glimpse of his white blond head between her thighs.

The image was much more erotic than she was expecting, and she found herself careening over the edge, tightening around his fingers, and moaning out his name. Hermione hoped that his spellwork was as good as he said it was, because she wouldn't be able to return to work if she knew her coworkers had heard that.

Once she had recovered, Lucius pressed a kiss against her lips, helping her up and pulling down her skirt. "That's just a little preview of what the rest of the night has in store. You are going to the party tonight aren't you?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. She was going to the ministry party that night, even though she'd come to resent all the parties and celebration in the wake of Voldemort's defeat. "Are you bringing Narcissa?" She asked, her heart unprepared for the answer.

Lucius stiffened. "You know I am, Hermione. It's expected of me." He told her, unwilling to meet her eyes. "But if I have my way, I won't be going home with her. I'd much rather spend the night in between your sheets."

His words excited her. They hadn't had sex since the wedding, and as much as she hated to admit it, she wanted him inside her again. "We'll see." Hermione said, unable to agree to anything, knowing that Narcissa was going to be there.

"Well, why don't you go home early. Take time getting yourself ready for tonight." He helped her stand from the desk, pressing an indulgent kiss on his lips, laving his tongue over her lower lip. "I can't wait to see how beautiful you will look."

Hermione nodded dumbly, and headed back home, thinking on his words. She thought about his actions the whole time that she was getting ready, coming to a horrifying realization. She'd kissed him for the first time at this same annual party the year before.

She'd wasted an entire year on a wizard who couldn't love her the way she deserved and she was _still_ sucked into his web. It was unacceptable. It didn't matter how much sexual attraction that the pair of them had when it could never be anything more than a tryst.

Spritzing herself with a bit of perfume, Hermione had made up her mind. This would be the night that she would cut off any hope of a romantic relationship with Lucius. For good.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I know last chapter was tough. If you didn't see in the note last time, chapter one occurs chronologically between chapter twenty and twenty one. So you might want to re-read that if you haven't.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty one and be on the lookout for chapter twenty two soon!

* * *

 **June, 2000**

Hermione was upset with herself that she'd still slept with Lucius the night before. When she'd left the house to go to the Ministry party it was with the express reasoning that she'd break it off. Somehow, his touch had ignited something in her and Hermione was a slave to her desires, unable to say no. In the harsh morning light, though, she realized what a terrible mistake she'd made and told him in no uncertain terms that he no longer had a part in her life.

By the time that Hermione got up from her bed, it was already past two p.m.. She couldn't remember ever staying in bed so long since after the battle. She'd slept for days when they were finally safe and Voldemort was defeated.

What did that say about her and Lucius's relationship, she wondered, that ending it with him had been so draining that she was as tired as she'd been fighting Voldemort? Hermione knew part of the reason she was so tired was because of how sad she was feeling. It had only been a few hours since she'd told him to go away, get out of her life, but she already missed him so much.

Still, Hermione knew that it was the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurt her now. This hurt would be temporary, whereas if she kept letting Lucius dictate her life, if she kept giving into his whims, she would only end up angry with herself. Someday soon, when she was more removed, she would be able to move on from him.

After she'd spent enough time feeling sorry for herself, Hermione pulled herself from bed, and hopped in the shower, washing all traces of her dalliance from her skin. She didn't get out until the water had gone cold. She then put on some jeans and a tshirt, deciding to get some takeaway.

On her way out the door to go get some pad thai from the place around the corner from her flat, she sent a quick note to Daphne asking for her to come over. The blonde girl had told her after all that she was there to talk when Hermione wanted to tell her the truth.

It was nice to get some fresh air, Hermione thought, carrying her food back. She hadn't realized quite how hungry she was until she was out and about. When she got back to her flat, Daphne was already waiting on her couch. "Decided to let yourself in then?" Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow at her friend.

"Well, you said come over as soon as I can." Daphne teased, before getting a good look at Hermione. "You've been crying. Is it Lucius?"

Daphne followed Hermione into the kitchen, where she divided her food into two bowl, giving Daphne one of them. "How are you Slytherins so perceptive? Is it taught in a class to use other people's own emotions against them?"

The blonde giggled for a moment, shaking her head. "No, you are just really easy to read. This is good." She'd taken a bite of the muggle food, unsure of what it was, but glad she'd taken a chance. She desperately wanted to know what had happened, but knew that she needed to give Hermione time to open up to her.

They sat on her couch in silence for a moment, before Hermione began speaking. "You are right. It's Lucius. I...I've been carrying on with him again." She revealed first, even though she was pretty sure that Daphne already knew that.

"How long has it been going on?" She asked, looking at Hermione seriously.

"Since the wedding." Hermione admitted. "But then...last night I ended for good. I just can't be in a relationship that isn't going anywhere. When he constantly lies to me about his relationship with Narcissa. I know it was the right move, but it just...it hurts so much."

Daphne's eyebrows were scrunched together while she considered Hermione's words. "Why does it hurt so much?" Maybe Daphne had completely misread Hermione's feelings about Lucius. Maybe Gryffindors weren't capable of having a casual affair.

"Because I love him." Hermione said quietly. "And he told me he loves me too, wants to be with me. But I know those are just empty words because...if he really loved me, he'd just divorce her, wouldn't he?" What Hermione really needed was confirmation that she'd made the right decision.

"Oh Hermione." Daphne said, wrapping her new friend in a tight hug. "You did what's best. And I know it hurts now, but it will get better. Do you know what you need?"

"What?" Hermione asked, hoping that Daphne wouldn't suggest another blind date.

"You need to get away for a few days. Take some vacation time." Daphne said. "Blaise has a great villa in Italy. I bet he'd rent it to you for just a few galleons a week."

"I don't know, Daphne, I don't want it to seem like I am running away from my problems. It would be unprofessional." Hermione said, putting her empty bowl on her coffee table.

Daphne gave her a smile. "You haven't had a vacation in over a year! And don't think of it as running away. You are just giving yourself a bit of space to come to terms with things." Seeing Hermione's skeptical look, Daphne laughed. "Promise me you'll just think about it?"

"Alright." Hermione promised. "Now let's talk about something else, because I don't want to think about Lucius for the rest of the night."

"Well, I heard that Pansy is pregnant, but it could just be a rumor!" Daphne said, going on about her former classmate, a girl who neither Hermione nor Daphne particularly cared for. "She's had to move up her wedding." The girls spent the rest of the night gossiping and for the first time all day, Hermione felt happy.

* * *

In the end, it only took Hermione one day to take up Daphne on her suggestion to get away for a while. Being in her apartment had too many memories of the blond man she was trying to detach from, and she needed to get away if she was going to separate herself from the man totally.

She'd penned a quick note to Blaise Zabini, who agreed to let her rent his villa in Naples for a week for a very reasonable price, as she was a friend of Daphne's. Also included in his reply was that he was being very generous and if she broke anything, or snooped around or left it in worse condition than she found it, he would come after her.

Hermione had giggled at his threats. Didn't he know that she was the responsible one?

Napoli had been gorgeous and hot, so she was glad to learn that his villa had beach access. Hermione spent most of her time out reading on the beach, getting a beautiful sun tan, and ignoring the attentions of some of the locals.

She loved exploring the city. There was so much history and the food had been delicious. It had been a long time since Hermione had traveled alone and it was nice not to be on anyone else's schedule for a change. She could do whatever she wanted, not worrying about boring her traveling companion with her academic pursuits.

It had been a good idea for her to get away, Hermione decided finally, as each day the ache in her heart got a little bit less and less. She knew it would take time for her to be completely over him, and that it might take months or even a year, but she was confident that when she returned to London, she would be able to remain firm, even under the sway of Lucius's attentions.

Sighing, Hermione couldn't believe that it was already time to return to her lonely apartment. She spent an extra long time cleaning the villa before she left, wanting Blaise to eat his words about her leaving the villa in any less condition than she found it. But when she couldn't wait any longer, she grabbed onto her portkey and headed home.

* * *

 **July, 2000**

When she returned to her flat, Hermione had expected to be filled with a new sense of purpose, but she was disappointed to learn that memories of Lucius still lingered. Shaking her head, Hermione knew that they wouldn't disappear in one week.

Unpacking her laundry, Hermione noticed her emerald necklace sitting on her dresser. Knowing that it was a step in the right direction, she wrapped up the necklace and the diamond earrings before sending them off with an owl, back to Lucius. It wasn't right for her to keep them, and while she had them, it was just another thing that tied her to him.

Watching the owl fly away upset her much more than she would have expected, and she found herself angrily wiping tears from her cheeks. She needed a drink.

Making her way to the pub two blocks from her flat, Hermione ordered a firewhiskey and enjoyed the burn of the drink down her throat. She wasn't she how long she sat there, wallowing in self pity, until she was startled by someone sitting in the seat next to her. The flash of white blond hair had her heart speeding up, only to be annoyed to see that it was only Draco. "Granger."

"Aren't you supposed to be on a honeymoon, or something like that?" She snapped at him, not up for any company, but certainly not up for talking to the son of the man she'd had an affair with.

"I've been back for a month." He said with a smirk on his face, before getting down to brass tacks. "You know why I'm here, I take it? To talk about my father." He indicated to the bartender to bring them both another firewhiskey, which Hermione was grateful for.

"How long have you known?" Hermione asked, a bit viciously. She wondered what Draco thought about his father sullying himself with the former classmate he tormented for six years.

"I've had my suspicions since Christmas, but I wasn't positive until my wedding." He revealed. Hermione sucked in a deep breath. She hadn't realized that they'd been so obvious, and now she was feeling a bit mortified.

"I'd rather not talk about Lucius right now." Hermione said. "Least of all with you."

"Look, do you think that I want to talk to you about it?" Draco snapped back at her, running his hand through his shorter hair. "He's upset. Won't eat hardly at all. He hasn't been sleeping well either. And look at you...just get back from vacation?"

Hermione finally turned her chair to face him. "Look, I wasn't the bad guy in this relationship, Malfoy. Your father knows what he did wrong, so don't try to guilt me into feeling bad for him. I am trying to move on with my life."

"Listen, Granger. I know this is going to sound...well, insane, but for some reason, my father loves you and it's killing him that you are apart." Draco said, clearly uncomfortable to be having this conversation with her.

Hermione just scoffed. "Well, he has a funny way of showing it." She wondered if this meant that Draco knew about his parents relationship, and it there was any truth to what Lucius had said. She could feel the seeds of hope forming in her chest.

Draco was getting angry. "Look, do you honestly think that I would be here if he didn't?" He demanded, needing her to see reason. "Do you think that I want to be here having this conversation with you?"

"I don't know what you want me to do Malfoy!" Hermione said, trying to keep a handle on her voice, not wanting her business to be spread about. "I refuse to just be a mistress to your father. I want a real relationship, not some secretive, fucking in offices affair." She could feel bitter tears forming in her eyes.

She say Draco wince at her words. So, perhaps he knew about the affair, but he hadn't quite confronted the images in his head yet. "My parents' marriage hasn't been real for as long as I can remember. They can barely stand each other. He was happy with you."

Hermione closed her eyes, trying to hold in her anger. What was in with Malfoy men completely disregarding _her_ happiness? "Draco." Hermione said seriously, trying to make her point crystal clear. "Your father has broken a few too many promises with me. He can't give me what I want. I'm sorry, but it's just not going to work out, and I am trying to move on."

She dug in her pocket for some change, leaving enough galleons for both her and Draco's drinks, before turning and leaving for her flat. She'd worked so hard to squash any dreams or hopes about Lucius, but Draco had rekindled it.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N:** Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! You guys, it honestly means so much to me! I never imagined that people would feel so strongly about this fic, and I am getting sad that we are nearing the end! You can also follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) to get chapter notifications, future stories, etc. I also just posted the second chapter of a new multi-chapter. It's an Antonin Dolohov x Hermione, but with a colonial twist. I think you might like it, so please check that out if it tickles your fancy. It's called Fille du Roi.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty two and be on the lookout for chapter twenty three soon!

* * *

 **August, 2000**

"Did you see the paper?" Daphne asked, barely giving Hermione a chance to sit down at her desk. She threw a copy of the Daily Prophet down, looking around to make sure that their boss hadn't shown up for the day, yet.

Hermione shook her head no, before picking the paper up. She usually read the Quibbler, finding the Daily Prophet to be too salacious in the post Voldemort era. This headline caught her attention immediately, thought. "MALFOY FILES FOR DIVORCE FROM WIFE!" She gasped.

She was a little bit annoyed that this was considered newsworthy, but she couldn't deny that it was a picture of Lucius leaving the records department. Hermione scanned the article, which explained that he had filed, citing irreconcilable differences for their split, though the journalist was speculating on what Narcissa had possibly done. Apparently she had a string of ex-lovers who were happy to talk for a bit of money.

With her cheeks flushed, Hermione was ashamed to know the real reason had likely been because of her.

The rest of the article discussed the history of Narcissa and Lucius's relationship together, starting from their time at Hogwarts, and accompanied by happily smiling photographs of the pair. It made Hermione's heart clench tightly.

"Well? What are you going to do?" Daphne asked, her eyes wild. Hermione had done well so far, standing her ground with Lucius and not letting him back into her heart, but in Daphne's opinion, this just made it a completely different ballgame.

"Nothing." Hermione responded primly. Yes, it was good to learn that perhaps Lucius hadn't lied to her about the state of his relationship with Narcissa, but it was still half a year too late. He'd broken his promise to her months ago, and just because he was following through with it now, didn't make everything forgotten.

"Nothing! But, Hermione-" Daphne cut herself off, seeing Lucius Malfoy approaching his office, looking stoic as ever. Giving Hermione a meaningful look, she quietly promised. "We are not done discussing this." Then, she flounced back to her own desk.

Hermione decided that she needed to make her feelings known to Lucius as soon as possible, so he didn't get any false hope in regards to their relationship. She strode purposefully into his office, throwing the paper down on his desk. He didn't even need to look at it to know what it was. "I just wanted you to know that this doesn't change anything."

"Hermione-" He started, but she cut him off.

"No. I am glad to learn that you didn't lie to me about the state of your relationship, but this is too little to late. If you were serious about me, you would have done this last year." She said, hands on her hips, and feeling rather proud of herself.

"You are completely right. And I didn't do it for you." Lucius said, maintaining eye contact with her. Hermione was surprised to say the least. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. Narcissa and I haven't loved each other for a long time, and we both were trying to cause hurt to the other."

She almost couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, and she sat down in the chair across from his desk heavily, eyes in her lap. Now she felt a bit horrible and conceited for imagining that he'd been pining after her for the last three months. "Well, then...I'm glad for you."

"But Hermione, I can promise you this." Lucius said, his gray eyes steely and serious. "I am not giving up on you yet. I know that I treated you poorly and for that I am sorry, but I am going to fight for you and I promise that one day, I will have you back."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She never expected Lucius to fight for her. She always imagined that Malfoys just expected good fortune to fall into their laps, much like she had. But now...perhaps she meant more to him than she gave him credit for.

"I need to go." Hermione finally replied, his promise all that she could focus on.

* * *

Lucius certainly made good on his promise to fight for her, and he was relentless in his pursuits. The first thing that he did was put her forward for a promotion with the International Magical Office of Law as Head Researcher. The job was similar to the work she did for the Trading Standards Body, but it was better paid and it had a broader scope. She would even still be in close contact with Daphne, though not in the same office.

When she asked him why he'd done it, if he was unhappy with her work, he smirked at her. "I am serious about having a real relationship with you, Hermione, and to have a relationship with my subordinate would not be appropriate."

That was the other perk of the job. She was no longer a direct report to Lucius. She got the job easily, and settled in nicely.

When it was time for them to leave the office for the day, Lucius always met her in the lifts, walking her to the apparition point. He would tell her if she looked nice that day, ask about the general status of initiatives that she was working on, and was just lovely to her. He did push any amorous affection onto her, instead, courting her like a normal person.

And people certainly noticed that something was brewing between the two of them. Harry had asked her at lunch one day about it. "You and Lucius Malfoy seem to be pretty chummy."

Hermione had blushed bright red. "Well, he was my boss, you know. He's nothing like I would have expected him to be. And he's very complimentary of my work." That made Harry curious, but he didn't understand enough about the law to really delve into the details of what her work entailed.

Luckily for Hermione, Harry was a bit too obtuse to put anything more together than just a professional respect between former colleges.

He also sent her all sorts of romantic tokens as well. At work, she found a respectful bouquet of flowers waiting at her new desk on the first day of working in the Office of Law, with a well meaning note wishing her the best in her new job. The bright blue hydrangeas looked beautiful and didn't arouse suspicion.

The more obviously romantic flowers he saved for her home. Roses, forget me nots, baby's breath and gorgeous pink lilies cycled through her home in the weeks after his divorce was announced. He even sent her some of her favorite sea salted caramels.

Each present made her heart ache in longing. If he _were_ her boyfriend, each gift would be so perfect, but the fact remained that he wasn't. He'd promised to fight for her, to win her back, and whether he knew it or not it was working. Each token of his affection weakened her resolve, but it was lack of pushiness that really made her heart grow fonder.

Shaking her head, Hermione pushed the thoughts of Lucius from her mind. Maybe she should try to move on.

* * *

 **September, 2000**

The news that the divorce had been finalized swept through the wizarding world. Lucius Malfoy was back on the market, and it made all sorts of witches try for a go with him. Hermione tried to pretend like it didn't bother her, but deep down it did.

It was really pathetic for her to be sitting in a cafe in Diagon Alley, trying to read a book, but being so distracted by some girl younger than her trying to get Lucius's attention. Forcing herself to stare at the words on the page, Hermione tried to forget that he was just standing there.

"So you are the little tart that ruined my marriage." A voice rang out in the small shop. Hermione looked up, completely embarrassed to see Narcissa staring down at her. Luckily, the only other person there was the shopkeep. Hermione prayed that he would keep silent on this.

"I did nothing of the sort." Hermione responded, casting a muffliato discretely, hoping the keep this conversation between the pair of them.

Narcissa looked her up and down before taking the other chair at the table. "Don't try to deny it. Lucius told me all about your torrid affair when he asked me for a divorce the first time. Of course, I didn't know it was you specifically until last month."

Hermione was surprised to learn this. She couldn't believe that Narcissa had known about her for months. And still, she hadn't given Lucius the divorce? "I don't really think you are one to talk. It seems as though you have your own history of affairs."

"Yes, but Lucius was perfectly happy with our arrangement until you came along." Narcissa sniffed, rolling her wand in her hand. "Now, all the papers are speculating that I did something horrible because _he_ was the one to request the divorce. My reputation is ruined!" The woman bemoaned.

The brunette rolled her eyes again at this nebulous idea of reputation. "Why didn't you just ask for the divorce back in October then, if you wanted to save your reputation?" Hermione was feeling bitter, knowing that so much heartache could have been saved if Lucius had only acted sooner.

"Because I was happy with the way things were!" Narcissa positively hissed. Hermione wondered what Lucius had ever seen in her. She was acting like a spoiled little brat, not getting her way. And didn't she see that it was only her happiness she was ensuring keeping the farce of the marriage going?

"Yes, but Lucius wasn't happy." Hermione insisted. "Before we started...our affair, he had already told me that you two had come to resent each other." There was no point in denying that she had participated in an affair.

Narcissa looked surprised. Perhaps she hadn't known, or perhaps she'd been more happy than Lucius and assumed that he'd felt the same. "But what about me? We never had to see each other, and we each had our needs met by other people."

"Maybe he just...wanted more than that." Hermione offered, unsure of why she was having this conversation at all. "I can't help you with any of this Mrs. Malfoy."

"It's Miss Black, actually. Lucius insisted I take my maiden name again as part of the settlement." Narcissa lamented. The Black name did not carry much weight at all these days.

"I'm sorry that things happened the way that they did." Hermione said honestly. It was true that she never wanted to come in between a couple's marriage vows. "But, I don't have to justify anything to you. Now, if you don't mind, I was reading my book."

Narcissa looked shocked at being dismissed by the little witch, but stood anyway, leaving Hermione to her own thoughts.

* * *

Hermione made her way to Grimmauld Place for dinner with Harry and Ginny. The couple were deep in wedding planning mode, planning on getting married in December, around Christmas time. She was amused to see their kitchen covered in fabric samples and other wedding accoutrements.

"Wow, looks like a wedding magazine threw up in your kitchen, Harry." Hermione teased, giving her friend a hug.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I am excited to get married, but I can't wait for it to be over. There are a lot more things to do than I expected." He admitted. "Luckily, Molly is helping out a lot." Hermione nodded, wondering just how much Harry actually like his future mother-in-law's help. "Come on, Gin was just setting the table in the dining room."

Hermione walked in, but stopped short, seeing that Ginny had set a fourth plate. Just who else was going to be joining them? "Gin, why are there four plates?" Harry asked, clearly confused.

Ginny looked guilty, until they heard the Floo in the other room activate. Ron Weasley swaggered in looking entirely confident and entirely like he was meant to be there. "Hey guys, sorry I am late. Hello, Hermione, you are looking beautiful tonight."

Feeling her jaw actually drop, Hermione rounded to glare at her former friend. Did he not remember all of the terrible things that he'd done? Then she turned to Harry. "Harry, you promised. What is he doing here?" When she first started coming to dinner at Grimmauld, she'd made her bespeckled friend promise that he wouldn't try to force them back together.

Harry held up his arms. "I didn't know Hermione I swear!" He turned to face his fiancee. "Gin, what did you do?"

Ginny smiled sweetly, trying to smooth things over. "Come on, Harry. You know that Ron and Romilda have been broken up for months and it's obvious that Hermione and Cassius aren't going anywhere." Ginny grabbed onto Harry's arm. "Don't you think that it's time that they move on and get back together?"

Hermione gasped. "Come on, Hermione. Everyone knows we're meant to be together." Ron said, giving Hermione an award winning smile.

"Listen up you two. I've told you before that Cassius and I are just friends, so we were never going anywhere to begin with." Hermione snapped at Ginny. "But even so, I don't ever want to get back together with Ron after the way he treated me! He cheated on me, he implied that no one could ever want me, and he never apologized! Why would I want to get back with him?"

"Gin, how could you?" Harry asked, clearly annoyed, and disappointed. He'd worked very hard to fix his relationship with Hermione and he was concerned that he was going to lose her again.

Hermione stood there in silence while the other three broke out in fierce arguments. Just a little over a year ago, she'd thought she wanted to be with Ron forever, but so many things had changed. Instead, she knew now that she wanted...Lucius.

Groaning, Hermione felt so stupid. She'd been longing to be in a relationship with Lucius for so long, and now she had the opportunity, but here she was being argued over by a Weasley, when she could be in his arms. "I've made a terrible mistake." Hermione said, quietly, but getting their attention. "I need to go." She said, knowing exactly what she needed to do for the first time in months.

Harry, seeing the determined look on her face, just nodded, and let her rush out the front door.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so glad it seems like everyone is on the same page after last chapter :) This chapter is pretty much the final chapter, next one is the sappy epilogue that I can't help but write, so you can read that if you want to, but it's not necessary. I really hoped you enjoyed this tale. More than once I really thought that I'd bitten off more than I could chew. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) to find out about future fics that I am working on.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty three and be on the lookout for chapter twenty four soon!

* * *

As soon as Hermione got out of Grimmauld Place and out onto the street, her heart practically pounding out of her chest at what she was about to do. She knew now that she loved Lucius and she wanted to give it another shot with him, if he'd still have her.

She didn't need to think twice about where he would be, and shut her eyes apparating away to the entrance of Knockturn Alley, not caring if any muggles saw her popping away. She'd helped vanquish the darkest wizard alive when she was still a schoolgirl, the Ministry owed her at least one muggle obliviation.

Hermione made her way to The Bottle and Glass, stopping for a moment to straighten her hair. She was glad that she'd decided to dress up for dinner with Harry and Ginny. It wouldn't do for her to confront Lucius looking frumpy.

Taking one last deep breath, Hermione strode into the bar with confidence. She made a beeline for the silver-blond hair sitting at the bar. When she got to his side, she was breathless. "Lucius, I need to talk to you." She said.

He turned to face her, incredibly surprised to see Hermione standing there. Hermione hoped that he hadn't given up on her, or moved on with some other witch who would be too happy to screw away his sadness. Perhaps sensing her concern, his face transformed into a smirk. "Of course, shall we move to one of the snugs for a bit more privacy?"

Hermione bit her lip before nodding fiercely. She watched as his eyes widened, perhaps surprised that she did want to be so alone with him. Reaching for his drink off the bar, Hermione led the way to the snug.

When he closed the door behind him, Hermione was mindless, throwing herself against him in a desperate embrace, lips pressed tightly against hers. Lucius froze for a moment, as though this reaction was the last thing he'd expected from her. Her worry that he might have moved on from her renewed.

But then, he wrapped his arms tightly around her body, and kissed her back, tongue pressed firmly against the seam of her lips until she opened herself to him, and they met in a pleasurable tangle. He moaned into her mouth and she knew then that he'd missed her just as much as she'd missed him.

He mapped her mouth, remembering all the little flicks and movements that she'd loved in short lived relationship. Hermione felt her body responding to him, and though she'd like nothing more than to apparate back to her flat with him, she had to establish just what was going on between them before they could take it any further.

Pushing at his shoulders, Hermione pulled away from him. Lucius reluctantly let her go. They stood together, slowly regaining their breath, and both nervous of what was yet to come. "Sorry...I just…" Hermione started, only to see the stricken look on his face. "Let me start over. I came here, because I had to tell you that I, that I love you Lucius."

He looked momentarily stunned at her words, the depth of what it meant sinking in. He made a move to kiss her again, eager to reestablish their relationship, only to have Hermione turn away from him laughing. "Wait, wait...I think we need to talk a bit more first."

Lucius smiled at her - genuinely - a smile that reached his gray eyes, tiny little wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes. "I love you too, Hermione. You know that." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the words.

Hermione shook her head, feeling silly. "I thought maybe you'd have, moved on from me already." She blushed, feeling the full weight of her insecurity for a moment.

"What made you change your mind?" Lucius asked, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.

"Well, Ginny invited Ron to dinner with Harry and I tonight. He wanted to give us another go." Lucius stiffened at her words, a sneer automatic on his face at the thought of Hermione and Ron Weasley together. "I realized last June, I would have done anything to be with Ron. But now, I know that all I want is you."

The depth of affection in her words did shock Lucius. Gryffindors were so open with their emotions, and it had taken a lot for him to open up with Hermione, even if she didn't realize it. He'd been married to Narcissa for over 20 years, and he'd only told her he loved her once, and that was right after Draco had been born. But, he knew that he'd have to open himself up if he wanted Hermione's heart.

"Can I please take you home now and ravish you?" He asked, eager to be with the witch who'd plagued his thoughts for so long.

Hermione giggled, but stopped him. "Wait, first I have to know...are we in a proper relationship?"

"As if you have to ask." Lucius scoffed. "Of course we are. I'd like you to be my girlfriend….if you'll have me." He said, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically nervous. He'd put his heart on the line and now it was up to Hermione what she'd do with it.

"Of course I'll have you." Lucius grabbed her arm at the confirmation, and Hermione squealed as he suddenly side along apparated her. When she opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself in a lavishly decorated, but decidedly masculine bedroom.

"Where are we?" She asked, her heart beating in her throat. She knew that he hadn't done it on purpose, but his bringing her to his bedroom at Malfoy Manor was highly symbolic. It was a sign that she wasn't just a hidden little secret, in a one bedroom flat in London.

"Malfoy Manor. Now, hush witch, let me ravish you." He said, walking her back until she was deposited on his feather soft bed. He was much too eager for any kind of toying with buttons and used his wand to divest them both of their clothes, leaving Hermione in just her underclothes and himself completely naked. He wanted to enjoy his time unwrapping his present.

He contented himself with kissing on the mouth, languid and sensual, until she was rocking her covered sex gently against his leg. Breaking away, he kissed his way down her neck, sure to leave on or two love bites where she loved to be kiss, on her pulse point and a delightful spot behind her ear that made her moan.

Reaching behind her, he found the clasp of her bra easily enough and opened it, revealing her pale globes to him, each one tipped by hard, rosey nipple. When they'd been carrying on the year before, he hadn't taken enough time to really look at her. To appreciate her. He knew that he was starting at her, but she was so gorgeous, with tiny waist and rounded hips.

His concentration was broken by Hermione's hands in his hair pulling him to her breast, and a breathy little whine. "Lucius...please." He loved the way that she was in command of her pleasure, always letting him know what she needed. With lips wrapped around her nipple, tongue flicking the bud back and forth, he trailed his hand down her stomach, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.

His finger played with the waistband of her knickers until he felt her fingers tightening in his hair. Then, he slipped inside the lace fabric, hissing at the molten heat he found, her slit positively dripping. Burying his finger inside of her, he couldn't wait to be inside her.

It seemed she couldn't wait either because she was grabbing his hard cock in her hand, moving up and down in tantalizingly soft motions. "Hermione...I need you." He groaned, unable to wait another moment.

She nodded, helping him to get her knickers off. He positioned himself at her entrance before pushing himself in, aided by Hermione's ankles locked around his backside, pulling him inside of her.

One look in her shining brown eyes and Lucius knew that all his heartbreak of these last months had been worth it. Dropping his head to kiss her lips again, he set out a brutal pace, desperate to show her just how much he needed her.

Almost immediately, Hermione felt herself hurdling towards her peak, her body feeling taut as a bow. Every movement of his hips pressed against her clit, sending her closer and closer, and the steady motion of his cock was hitting her in all the right places. Wrapped completely around his body, Hermione thought that she might scream if she didn't come.

Blinding hot light seemed to pulse through her body when she was finally sent over the edge, coming with a cry. Her cunt was fluttering around him, desperate to take him with her. Lucius stilled above her, filling her, as he followed not two thrusts after.

Hermione sighed, her chest heaving with the effort, as she thought about how perfect she felt in that moment. Lucius rolled off her after a moment, though unwilling to break the contact. He pulled her body, holding her tightly against his chest, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you." He said, utterly spent.

She snuggled into his warmth, her body still shuddering with the afterglow. "I love you too."

* * *

Hermione and Lucius could only stay in their warm protective cocoon at Malfoy Manor for a while before reality could come back into their lives. Hermione wished she'd never have to leave, never have to disturb the new balance of their relationship, but she knew that it couldn't be.

She'd waltzed right out of Grimmauld Place the night before with no explanation, and now that they were in a real relationship, Hermione knew that she'd have to bring her friends up to speed with her relationship with Lucius. She wasn't keen to share all of the details, so she would let them think that it was something that was only recenly occuring.

After telling this much to Lucius, he agreed to dinner at her house later that night. Hermione was a ball of nerves knowing that this could really make or break her relationship with them, but if they couldn't accept her, it was finally time to move on.

Harry, Ron, Ginny and Daphne all wrote back to her quick invitation for dinner, and Hermione got to preparing a nice dinner. Cooking all day gave her something to focus on, though Lucius did his best to distract her with kisses and touches.

Hermione was a bit excited when Daphne showed up first, seeing as she knew the most, and this new development was the least likely to shock her. Daphne took one look at Lucius, standing in Hermione Granger's small muggle apartment, only to let out an excited squeal and wrap Hermione in a tight hug. "Are you for real?" She demanded.

The Gryffindor girl nodded. "Yes, Lucius and I have decided to give a real relationship a shot." She said, with a shy smile. She knew that Daphne thought she was silly for not giving into all of Lucius's romantic intentions for so many weeks, when he was clearly trying to make things right with her. "But now, I need you to help tell my other friends."

It didn't take much later for Ron, Ginny and Harry to show up. Ron walked through her floo first, with a swagger that suggested he thought that they were getting back together. Why else would she invite the three of them over?

Then he saw Daphne, his eyes narrowing. "What is she doing here?" He groused, before he laid eyes on Lucius. "What is he doing here!" He shouted.

Ginny and Harry tried to come through the floo, only to run into Ron's back. "Oi, budge up Ron." Ginny said, her eyes puffy and red. She pulled Hermione into a hug. "I'm so sorry for the way I've been acting. I should never have assumed…" She trailed off seeing the other occupants.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Well, I have some...news for the three of you. I thought we could sit for dinner."

The six of them sat around the table, Ron glaring daggers between Daphne and Lucius, who was sitting entirely too close to Hermione in his opinion. Harry looked on edge, and confused, but he seemed willing to talk with an open mind.

Finally, the tension of the silence became too much for Hermione. "Well, I don't suppose that there is any point in waiting any longer. Lucius-" Ron's sputtering at the use of Lucius's given name made her pause. "Lucius and I are in a relationship." She said firmly.

"What the hell Hermione? He's a bloody death eater!" Ron exploded. "It's because she's been hanging out with you." He viciously accused Daphne. "You lot of snakes."

Hermione ran her hand over her face. "Listen. My relationship isn't up for debate. I need you to be happy for me, or I don't think that we can continue to be friends." She made direct eye contact with Harry. "All last year, it has seemed that you haven't had my best interests at heart, so I need you to do this for me now."

"No bloody way!" Ron answered for the three of them. Ginny was crying openly at the situation. "Hermione you and I are meant to be together."

"You have an odd way of showing that." Lucius sneered at Weasley. "Hermione is a beautiful, intelligent witch and she deserves to be treated with respect. I've come to learn that." He said sullenly, squeezing Hermione's hand under the table.

Harry was looking at Lucius shrewdly, before he nodded. He could tell that the older man clearly cared for his friend, much more than he was letting on. "Okay, Hermione. I don't particularly like it, but I will give it a shot for you. I'm not making any promises that I will be friends with or even like Lucius, but I will give it a shot."

"I refuse to let you date this snake, Hermione." Ron said with finality, positively seething, annoyed that Harry wasn't backing him up in the situation.

Hermione felt her ire rise and sent a powerful stinging hex at her friend, leaving a large red welt where it struck him. "Then you can leave, Ronald. I am through with you."

He looked like he was going to say something else, but Harry put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave it Ron. You should go home." The redhead stood and left in a swirl of angry green flames, headed to the Burrow, calling Harry a traitor.

Hermione turned to the other redhead at the table, who was still crying from the fallout with her brother. "Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly.

Ginny nodded. "I'll be happy for you Hermione. I don't want to lose your friendship. And I am sorry for making you doubt me." She said, sincerity shining in her eyes. Harry gave her a proud kiss on the cheek, and Hermione felt herself relax. Hermione could tell that Ginny and Harry had had a lot to talk about last night, namely Ginny's meddling.

After tears were wiped away, the remaining five began a stilted conversation about Hermione's new job. The conversation became a bit more loose once they began discussing Quidditch. It wasn't something she'd normally discuss, but it gave her hope that this might actually work out alright.

* * *

 **December, 2000**

"Hermione Granger! What is that on your hand?" Daphne asked as soon as Hermione arrived at her apartment for a quiet gift exchange with Theo. It was after the holidays, but the girls still have gifts to give one another since they hadn't seen each other since before Christmas do to all the drama with Harry and Ginny's wedding.

Mrs. Weasley had nearly caused a scene when Hermione was dancing with her date, Lucius, saying that she would never forgive her for all the heart ache she'd caused Ronald. Luckily, Ginny defused the situation, reminding her mother that it was Ron that had ended things with Hermione, and in a terrible way too. Sufficiently cowed, Molly had hidden away from Lucius's angry glare.

Hermione blushed, giving Daphne her left hand. "Yes, Lucius asked me over the holidays and I've accepted. I can't believe it's actually happened." Hermione gushed. It was all that she ever wanted. To get married and have a family.

She just never expected she'd want it with Lucius Malfoy of all people. She was over the moon, though, and she knew that she'd made the right decision. The papers would talk about how soon it was in their relationship, but she didn't care.

She loved him and that's all that mattered.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thank you all so so much for your support on this story! Thank you for favoriting and following and huge thank you to all of the reviewers! It was so much fun to interact with you throughout the story. If you liked this story, you can check out my other work here on fanfiction. I am currently writing an Antonin/Hermione called Fille Du Roi. You can also follow me on tumblr, where my handle is nauticalparamour, to get more information on new stories.

Without further ado, here is the sappy epilogue that was promise. I hope you enjoy and I would love to hear what you thought!

* * *

Epilogue

 **December, 2002**

Daphne helped Hermione put all assortments of blue decorations up in the small sitting area of Malfoy Manor, where Hermione and Lucius were going to be hosting a party later that evening. They had billed it as just holiday gathering, but really they'd be telling their friends and family that they were expecting their first child, a son, in June.

They'd been married just over a year and half, having gotten married the previous May in a small ceremony. Hermione had never wanted a large wedding, and Lucius didn't want the hullabaloo of another society wedding. Neither of them had parents, either, so it was an easy decision to make.

To her surprise, the wizarding press was rather complementary of them. Narcissa had written a tell all book, claiming that Hermione and Lucius had started the relationship while they were still married. The newly married pair had responded with no comment, which led the newspapers to speculate that Narcissa was just a jealous woman, upset that she no longer had access to the Wizarding world's largest vaults.

Hermione felt a little bit badly for not correcting the record, because she had been involved with Lucius while he was married to Narcissa, but she didn't really think it was anyone's business but their own.

They had a year on their own together, taking several vacations when they had the time together, and doing well in their jobs in the Ministry. But, after a year, Hermione began discussing the possibility of having children. She wanted a family, after all.

After a particularly vigorous Samhain celebration, they found that they were expecting, and then in early December, Hermione learned that they were going to have a son. Daphne was the only one who knew she was pregnant so far, and that was because she'd caught Hermione siphoning red wine from her wine glass and replacing it with grape juice.

When the two girls were done with the decorations, including a display of blue topped cupcakes, Hermione moved to sit on the couch. Daphne, soon to be Mrs. Theodore Nott in the New Year, sat down next to Hermione. "I cannot wait to see Astoria's face when she realizes that Draco's share of the inheritance is going to be split."

Hermione giggled. Astoria Malfoy had not been pleased to have a new step-mother in law, although Hermione had tried to make a good relationship with her. Draco and she got along much better than expected, he constantly teasing her about being a gold digger, even though he knew that Hermione wasn't very interested in the Malfoy money. "Daphne don't be cruel."

"No, really. I should hire a photographer." Daphne replied, running her hands together. "I wonder what Draco will think about having a new sibling."

Hermione put her hand on her stomach. "Well, I hope he won't mind. It might be some good practice for him and Astoria." She smiled. "Honestly, Lucius and I are so pleased that it wouldn't matter if everyone was upset."

"Well, shall we get you upstairs and pick out a gorgeous tight dress to show off your flat stomach?" Daphne teased. "Soon you'll be showing." Hermione nodded and let Daphne drag her upstairs to pick out a blue dress.

That night, as soon as Hermione and Lucius announced that they were expecting a child in just a few months, all their friends - though it was a small group - were excessively pleased for them. Draco even wrapped Hermione in his first ever hug, though she had caught Astoria giving her a stink face. The younger girl quickly got over the upset, though, and congratulated Hermione on her pregnancy, telling her that she was practically glowing.

Later, when everyone had left and it was just Hermione and Lucius left alone, Lucius pressed his hand on her still flat stomach, smiling. "That went better than expected. Everyone is so excited to meet you, little one. Now, we just need to pick you a name. Something strong, but still meaningful."

"Oh, do you have something in mind?" Hermione asked, intrigued to hear about his names.

"Well, Malfoys have a tradition of being named for Roman Senators." Lucius replied.

Hermione scrunched her nose. "I better get a history book then. I am sure that we can find something that with both like."

* * *

 **September 1, 2014**

"Promise me you'll write as soon as dinner is over?" Hermione asked, smoothing her son's curly blond hair to one side. She was kicking herself now for not getting him a haircut in time.

"Yes, mum." Eleven year old Severus said, blushing at the conglomerate who'd come to see him off. His whole family had come to send him off to his first year of Hogwarts. His younger brother, eight year old Marcus, was arguing with his nephew, seven year old Scorpius. His other brother, four year old Tiberius was holding onto his mother's leg.

His father was chatting with his older brother Draco, reminiscing about the time that Draco had gone off to Hogwarts. Astoria was also there, talking to his godmother, Daphne. The two of them were sisters, but they didn't look much alike.

They were all causing quite the fuss at the train platform and it was embarrassing him. He was going to miss them all, but he was so ready to get on the train and get to Hogwarts. "Now, just remember, we will love you no matter what house that you are sorted into." His mother said again, tears shining in her eyes.

He didn't want to disappoint the family, which had so many Slytherins, especially hearing that all Malfoys went to Slytherin. His mum liked to point out that she was a Malfoy and had been in Gryffindor. In the end, he knew that the sorting hat would put him where he was best suited.

Suddenly upset to be leaving his mum, Severus wrapped his arms around her tightly. Already at age eleven, he was nearly as tall as her, showing signs of being just as tall as his father. All of the Malfoy sons took after their father's coloring, except for the wild curl in their hair.

"I love you so much Sev." Hermione whispered into his ear. Letting her go, he turned to face his father and offered him an outstretched hand, knowing that Malfoys did not show emotion in public.

His father eyed his hand, before wrapping his own arms around his son, squeezing him tightly. "What, don't have a hug for dear old dad? I am going to miss you." His son had made Lucius exceptionally proud. "Don't forget to write your mother." He said sternly, before letting him go. "Now, hurry, you don't want to miss your train."

With one more round of goodbyes, Severus lifted his trunk and hurried off towards the Hogwarts Express. Hermione did wipe tears from her eyes, watching her son wave goodbye from the window when the train pulled out of the station.

"Oh, that was much harder than I thought." Hermione said, picking up Tiberius and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I can't imagine having to do that all over three more times."

Draco made a noise of agreement, thinking about having to send Scorpius off to school, before he realized that Hermione had said three. "Wait, what do you mean _three_ more times?" Hermione blushed brightly and Draco groaned. "Please don't tell me you're pregnant again."

Lucius smirked at his oldest son and wrapped an arm around his young wife. "Yes, we are expecting another child, Draco."

"Why? Isn't three boys enough?" Hermione knew that Draco loved his siblings, but the thought of his father being intimate with his former classmate always made him a bit green around the gills.

Hermione gave Draco a prim look and smoothed her skirt. "Well, I'll have you know that I've always wanted a daughter."

"You'll end up like the Weasleys if you do that!" Draco said, eyes wide. He knew that's why they'd had so many children, just waiting to get the Weaselette.

Hermione giggled. "No, this will be the last one. It is difficult to raise so many boys, especially when their older brother is constantly giving them brooms that are too fast for their age." Hermione had her hands on her hips, but was glad that Draco took an active roll in the boys' lives. He had a dream that they'd all be on the Slytherin Quidditch team and win all kinds of cups.

"And what will you name it, if its a girl?" Daphne asked, excited. She had her own daughter and son pair - Zara and Graham. Zara was a bit younger than Tiberius, but Graham was the same age as Scorpius and Marcus.

"Well, I get to pick the name if it's a girl." Hermione said brightly. "No more Roman senators!" She said cheerfully. It was a nice tradition and her sons all had stately names. She hadn't really thought about what it would be. "Hmm, I'll have to begin thinking."

"Just make sure you pick something nice, Hermione." Draco said imperiously. "I can't have a sister called something silly like...I don't know Sunshine Rainbow Malfoy."

The parents all laughed at that, agreeing that it wasn't a very Malfoy name. But then, it was time to leave, and Hermione and Lucius swept their little family home, excited to be welcoming an new addition in just six short months.

* * *

 **June, 2031**

Septima Malfoy had graduated from Hogwarts as Head Girl, and with top honors. Hermione and Lucius couldn't have been more proud of her, and all of their children.

Severus had surprised them all when he ended up as a Ravenclaw instead of a Slytherin or a Gryffindor, but then, both Hermione and Lucius knew that he was rather smart. He'd done well at school, and ended up playing seeker for Ravenclaw house, and was a prefect for three years. After school, he'd gone on to get a potions mastery like his namesake. He'd been married two years prior to a sweet girl from France, where he'd done his mastery, and had just welcomed an adorable little girl into the world.

Marcus had been a Slytherin through and through. He'd been sorted into the house of his ancestors with his nephew Scorpius, and Albus Potter. To Hermione's dismay, Marcus was much more interested in being Quidditch captain than Head Boy, which had eventually gone to Albus. The three of them had made a formidable trio as Chaser, Keeper and Seeker respectively, and had won five Quidditch Cups while they were at school.

After schooling, Marcus had numerous offers to play Quidditch both at home and abroad, but eventually took a spot with the Appleby Arrows, and was quickly taking them to the top of the table, the year before scoring the most points in club history. He'd surprised them all when he'd asked Zara Nott to marry him the year before, but Hermione and Daphne had been so pleased to be officially related.

Tiberius Malfoy was also sorted into Slytherin house, and was the first Malfoy since Lucius to be given the honor of Head Boy. He was determined to break his mother's NEWT scores, and had broken a few school records as well. After school, he'd been determined to travel the world, but he still popped home from time to time. At age twenty-two, Hermione knew that he wasn't keen to settle down just yet.

With her long brown curls and bright gray eyes, no one had been surprised when Septima broke the Malfoy mold and was sorted into Ravenclaw like her brother. In the end, Hermione had decided to try to stick with the Roman mold, and named her daughter after one of her favorite teachers at school, Septima Vector.

Though Septima was not an arithmancy prodigy, she was proving to be very shrewd and hoped to work in finance like her father once she left school. Hermione squeezed Lucius's hand all through her speech, so proud of the young woman she'd become. She had all the best hopes for Septima's life, though she hoped she didn't go through the same heartbreak Hermione had right after graduation.

If she could just find a nice boy.

After the speeches were over, Lucius and Hermione went up to the little stage to congratulate their daughter. There would be more celebrations the next day when she returned to her home. Coming around the corner, they were surprised to see Septima wrapped up in an intense embrace with none other than Albus Potter.

"Septima Malfoy!" Lucius thundered, happy when the pair jumped apart. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Septima didn't even look a little bit guilty. "Mum. Dad. I believe that you know Albus." Hermione watched as her husband's jaw clenched tightly. They had kept in touch with the Potters through the years, though they didn't become close until their sons began playing Quidditch together. Ginny tried really hard, but there was still friction in her relationship with Hermione.

"Hello Albus." Hermione said, trying to sound cheerful. Albus had followed in his father's footsteps and had become an auror. She was a bit upset that her daughter hadn't revealed that she was in a relationship. "Septima, you didn't tell us you were seeing anyone."

"Well, I was going to tell you all tomorrow." Septima whined. "We've only been seeing each other since Christmas."

Lucius was a tense ball of energy next to her, and Hermione knew she had to get him away from the young pair before he did something he'd regret. He was still Lucius Malfoy after all, and Albus looked incredibly nervous. "Well, make sure he comes to the party tomorrow. Congratulations on your speech." She said, before pulling her husband away.

"It's only been going on since Christmas?" He seethed, feeling his blood pressure rise. Having a daughter was a completely different experience to raising a son. He didn't want anyone touching his little girl. "Just wait until I get my hands on that father of his! Do you think Marcus knew about this?"

"Lucius, don't be ridiculous. Septima is an adult and I trust her to make smart decisions." Hermione said, patting his arm gently. She didn't want Septima to grow up either. "In any case, I don't think that you are one to talk about secret relationships." Hermione teased, remembering how their relationship began.

"But he's so much older than her!" Lucius complained. Hermione turned round to face him, simply raising an eyebrow. His wife was the same age as his first son, after all. Knowing that this was an argument that he was going to lose, he deflated. "Oh, I am much too old for this."

Hermione laughed at that. "Hmm, are you too old to enjoy one last night of an empty house before Septima moves back in?" She teased, knowing that in wizarding standards, he still have many long years ahead of them.

Pulling his wife against his body, Lucius pressed his lips just below her ear. "You know I'm never too old for _that_ , darling."

Hermione gave him a smirk. "Alright, old man, let's get home so you can prove it." Hermione loved her husband, and even though they'd come together under unusual circumstances, she was glad that he'd fought for her, and given her all that she wanted.


End file.
